Palace for the insane

It was a beauty in London, so famous that its name was synonymous with madness and chaos.

Bethlem Hospital, which is more commonly known as the "Bedlam" , is located next to Westminster Cathedral (London) and the zoo.

It is the inspiration for countless poems, plays and artworks because its architecture is so luxurious that it is compared to France's Versailles Palace.

Bethlem is the inspiration for countless poems, plays and artworks.

"A scenic spot in London's Financial District, right next to Bishopsgate. This is also one of the first places to treat patients who are considered" crazy "or" insane " - Mike Jay, the author of the book. "This Way Madness Lies " said, and then somehow, just talking about Bedlam in London, people think of crazy hospitals.

Like many other hospitals in the past, Bethlem began as a religious institution. It was founded in the 13th century to become a monastery for St. Mary's worship.

Until 1400, Bethlem became a medieval " resting place" - that is, a place not intended for medical care, but merely a place of rest for those who need help, who do not The place of refuge can come knocking on the door.

But then in the 17th century, Bethlem focused on caring for people who were not merely poor but also unable to take care of themselves - especially those who were deemed unnaturally nervous.

Magnificent palace for "insane" people

When the hospital was built in 1676, it was unlike any other nursing home that anyone had ever seen. The hospital was designed by Robert Hooke, an architect of the London Financial District, with the help of talented architect Christopher Wren.

The lavish design of the institute is also one of the efforts to compete with the market.

The general impression is that it is like the splendid palace of the French Emperor in Versailles, not a nursing home."For many years, it was the only building that looked like a palace in London" - quoted a writer in 1815.

That was when private hospitals began to open in London. The lavish design of the institute is also one of the efforts to compete with the market. However, the hospital's interior design is completely different.

Because the facade is so much detailed that it becomes heavy, it immediately cracks in the back. Every time it rains, water flows over the walls. And because the hospital was built on the rubble next to London's Roman wall, it was not even properly manicured.

In 1699, the satirical writer Thomas Brown wrote: "The architecture of the work makes us wonder" Will the builders of this work or those who are cared for within be illusory? I think they are really insane to build such an expensive construction for people with abnormal minds. "

People often joke that in this place, the province turns out to be crazy, and the crazy people are awake.

The hidden corners behind the flashy look

With a luxurious appearance, Bethlem has become a very attractive destination. Estimated in 1681, there are about 96,000 people visit this place every year. The authorities themselves also encourage visitors to visit so that they can donate money to the hospital.

But not only visitors, Bethlem is also one of the hospitals with extremely large number of patients. This is a rather absurd phenomenon, because the British at that time nerves were so unstable?

The reason is that the Poverty Assistance Act of 1601 states that only poor people who are no longer able to work are cared for by the community. The rest, if poor, must go to the factory, otherwise they will be sent to prison.

Therefore, beggars have massively pretended to go to the hospital as a mental person to avoid incarceration or hard labor. Only, they did not expect that when they stepped into Bethlem, they would open the door to "hell".

Two statues with melancholy and bitter looks, placed at the hospital gate, implicitly signaled a "earthly hell" inside.

The mental health treatments here make many people shudder. For example, the "swivel chair" was invented by physicist Erasmus Darwin. The patient will be tied to a hanging chair in the air, then the chair will rotate continuously for more than 100 cycles per minute, whether the procedure lasts up to hours.

The patients were so stunned that they vomited a bile of green bile, but that was considered . the positive reactions of the treatment process. In addition, it is normal for patients to be locked in a cold bath, starved, chained and beaten.

Fortunately, with the development of medicine and society, Bethlem Hospital has erased its scary treatments. By 1815, the institute of Bethlem was knocked out, replaced by a modern facility in Beckenham - where qualified and ethical doctors were willing to receive and treat patients with kindness.

Although Bethlem's "palace" is gone, it can be seen that the medical doctors here are working hard to erase the stains in the past, and try to create a real, soothing "palace" . spirit for his patients.