HISTORY STORIES | The most interesting events from the past.

Bedlam is a word we use in the case when there is some disorder in life, when things or events can not be understood. However, this term has its sad history, and it appeared from the abbreviated name of the hospital for mentally ill people in London. The Bethlem hospital was founded in the XIV century. However, the fame she received is not because of their experienced professionals, and for a completely different reason.

The hospital was founded by the Bishop and it was used as a hostel for the brotherhood of the order of St. Mary. The building was hidden from the eyes of passers-by wall, now this place is the exit to the metro station. Its original purpose was to collect alms.

It is impossible to say exactly when the transformation of the hostel to the hospital took place, but in 1357, there were already patients in it. The building included 12 chambers, rooms for servants and a kitchen. For 400 years, the hospital was in this place, but when patients became so much that, there was a need to expand the room, the "Bedlam" moved to Mursfield, located in Northern London.

It was assumed that the patients, who are on hospital treatment, would not be more than 150 people, so the project, which was developed by the architect Guk, the authorities approved. Moreover, for the solidity in front of the building did Kai Gabriel Sibber design restored two statues. The names of the works of art were exactly what should have sculptures towering at the gates of the clinic for the mentally ill. One of them was dubbed "Melancholy", and the second "Violent madness".

Historical evidence suggests that it was highly undesirable to get outside the walls of this institution. People suffering from depression, increased anxiety, neuroses, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses have been bullied. Moreover, those who have been called to restore them to health put on «captive» terrible experiences.

One of the patients died of a ruptured bowel. This happened because he was locked in a narrow cage, and is forced to be in a bent state for many years. People were starved, cold, but this is not the whole list of inhuman treatment of sadists to the mentally ill. The diet included porridge and bread, fruit, vegetables and meat was out of the question.

The methods used by doctors are simply not understandable. The man was seated on a chair that was attached by ropes to the ceiling and began to spin it up to 100 rpm. As a result, the patient began to feel very sick, opened vomiting, headache and dizziness. However, it will be fair to note that in some cases there was an improvement.

Traditional were banks and letting "bad blood". Only the most enduring patients could survive in such conditions, so not far from Bedlam there was a cemetery designed exclusively for those who died behind the wall of the mental hospital.

No wonder the worst rumors about this place were heard in the city. Moreover, one of the leaders of the clinic was so enterprising that he decided to arrange paid excursions for everyone. Every curious person could pay a small sum and find out what exactly was going on in the glorified "hell" place. Now it is hard to imagine that a normal person had a desire to observe the unfortunate patients, but such people were.

Moreover, advertising of such excursion took place under the guise of that each decent person can personally see to what vicious life leads. This place was also interesting for professional photographers who had the opportunity to make a series of rare photos.

Thus, the flow of visitors reached 90 thousand people a year. Such visits gave already suffering patients great discomfort and could not contribute to their recovery. In 1930, the clinic was moved to Beckenham, where it is today.

The time when patients were subjected to torture and torture has passed, but the glory of the terrible place is kept to this day.