Body: | A treatise of dreams & visions
Thomas Tryon (1634-1703)
1695 AD
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Introduction:
In 1695 AD, Thomas Tryon correctly understood that madness was a
spiritual problem, not a bodily illness caused by chemical imbalances as it
believed today. He identified a cause of insanity as being, "bitter envious
fierce wrathful proud Spirit" Anger, selfishness, pride, narcissism are all
triggers for madness. "The truth is, Madness and Phrensie do generally, and
for the most part (for some other few particular causes we shall give an
account of by and by) arise and proceed from various Passions and extream
Inclinations, as Love, Hate, Grief, Covetousness, Despair, and the like,
which do . . . break forth, violate and destroy the give inward Senses of
the Soul, whence the outward Senses do arise; So that the Soul loseth its
distinguishing property, and then the Imaginative property and Soul's Power
becomes rampant, unbounded, or as it were without a Guide, and consequently
such a Soul is unchained, or set at liberty from the dark Confinements of
the grosser Senses and Reason, even as men in Dreams." Tryon had observed
that religious people were affected with madness and noted that the prime
cause was anger, pride and narcissism: "some who have seemed very
Religious, and soberly inclined, as long as they retain'd their Senses and
outward Reason, as soon as they become deprived thereof, the bitter envious
fierce wrathful proud Spirit appears in its own form, and has its operation
without let or hindrance." He rejected drugs, bloodletting and vomits as
effective cures of madness. "As to the Cure of Madness in general, the
Schools commonly prescribe Blood-letting, and Sleep procuring Medicines,
but with how much success daily experience witnesseth, they mistake the
Cause, and therefore blindly combat with the Effect" He also criticized the
practice at Bedlam of allowing the general public to pay admission to
mental hospitals to mock the patients and ridicule them for their own
personal entertainment. "I must acknowledge that Gallant Structure of New
Bethlam to be one of the Prime Ornaments of the City of London, and a Noble
Monument of Charity, so I would with all Humility beg the Honorable and
worthy Governours thereof, that they would be pleased to use some Effectual
means, for restraining their inferior Officers, from admitting such Swarms
of People, of all Ages and Degrees, for only a little paltry Profit to come
in there, and with their noise, and vain questions to disturb the poor
Souls" (A treatise of dreams & visions, Thomas Tryon, 1695 AD)
"Through much of the history of psychiatry recognition of the
importance of psychological factors in mental illness came more from
enlightened outsiders than from within the profession. Of these Tryon was
an outstanding example. Not content with the old doctrine of the passions
he attempted a psychological explanation on a model of psychosis similar to
modern theories which use terms such as breakdown of ego function and
reality testing. He criticised current physical methods of treatment
especially by 'Blood-letting', 'sleepyfying things' and `stupifactive
Medicines' - the forerunners of the sedatives and tranquillizers of
today. Not until Battie (1758) was a professional voice raised against this
traditional approach to mental illness. Tryon was also the first who
condemned the practice of exposing the insane at Bethlem Hospital to public
view, forty years before Defoe denounced it and almost a century before it
was actually abolished. The profit to Bethlem from what was a popular
London amusement was incidentally not as Tryon thought 'paltry' but brought
the respectable yearly revenue of £400, which though not a condonation is
at least an explanation for the persistence of this abuse." (300 years of
Psychiatry, Richard Hunter, 1963, p233)
A treatise of dreams & visions, Thomas Tryon, 1695 AD
Merchant of London, 'student in physick', writer on philosophical, social,
religious and medical subjects.
A treatise of dreams & visions . . . To which is added, a dicourse of the
causes, natures and cure of phrensie, madness or distraction. By Philotheos
Physiologus, [1689 London, Sowle] pp. 249-52, 258-60, 267-8, 288-93
A second edition 1695
SEVERAL OBSERVABLES ABOUT MADNESS
There being an Affinity or Analogy between Dreams and Madness, so that the
understanding of one will somewhat illustrate the other; for Madness seems
to be a Watching or Waking Dream; I have therefore thought it might not be
unfit to subjoyn here certain Considerations touching Phrensie and
Distraction, its Causes, Nature and Effects; the rather because the same
has very barrenly been handled, as far as I can learn, by those that have
undertaken to treat thereof. I shall not insist upon the several sorts
reckoned up by Authors . . . As all those, and others, varying in Symptoms,
are but several Species of Distraction, so though Galen having constituted
four Humors in the Body, & laid it down for a Principle, that from the
excess of some, or one of them, all Diseases do proceed, and consequently,
was bound to assign these as causes for such Distempers ; yet more narrow
Searchers into the Mysteries of Nature, have long since discarded that
Doctrine, which seems to consist meerly in Forms and Words, rather than
Realities, and do conclude that most Diseases arise, either from Irregular
passions of the Mind, or poysonous ferments, occasioned by ill Dyet, or
improper Physick in the Body. The truth is, Madness and Phrensie do
generally, and for the most part (for some other few particular causes we
shall give an account of by and by) arise and proceed from various Passions
and extream Inclinations, as Love, Hate, Grief, Covetousness, Despair, and
the like, which do . . . break forth, violate and destroy the give inward
Senses of the Soul, whence the outward Senses do arise; So that the Soul
loseth its distinguishing property, and then the Imaginative property and
Soul's Power becomes rampant, unbounded, or as it were without a Guide, and
consequently such a Soul is unchained, or set at liberty from the dark
Confinements of the grosser Senses and Reason, even as men in Dreams .. .
Now when the five inward senses of the Soul are weakened or destroyed, then
they can no longer present before the Judge the Thoughts, Imaginations or
Conceptions, but they are all formed into words as fast as they are
generated, there being no controul or room for Judgment to censure what are
sit, and what are unsit to be coyn'd into Expressions : For this cause Mad
People, and innocent Children, do speak forth whatever ariseth in their
Phantasies ; but on the contrary, all those that attain to Maturity of
Years, and the knowledge of good and evil, their inward Senses of the Soul
being unviolated, especially such as adhere to the counsel of the Voice of
Wisdom, they let no Conception or Imagination be formed into words before
it be presented by the five Counsellors of the Soul, before the Judge,
which keeps its Court, and Seat of Justice, in the Center of Life; for if
this were not more or less observed, would not every man in the world seem
to be Mad, or Distracted ? For what wild, incoherent, absurd, ridiculous
notions should we hear from the most serious people, if they should
continually Speak, and form into words the various Imaginations, and
Conceptions that do continually arise . . . for never hath any man ceased
from Imaginations one quarter an hour in his whole Life, or indeed one
moment, no, not even when the Body & Sences are asleep .. .
As for the Species of Madness they are as various as men are in their
Complexions; for according to what Principle and property, whether good or
evil, does govern the Life, in the time of their retaining their Reason and
Senses, such a property does more clearly manifest it self when the Reason
and Senses are broken to pieces; for this cause, some who have seemed very
Religious, and soberly inclined, as long as they retain'd their Senses and
outward Reason, as soon as they become deprived thereof, the bitter envious
fierce wrathful proud Spirit appears in its own form, and has its operation
without let or hindrance.
STUPIFACTIVE MEDICINES
As to the Cure of Madness in general, the Schools commonly prescribe
Blood-letting, and Sleep procuring Medicines, but with how much success
daily experience witnesseth, they mistake the Cause, and therefore blindly
combat with the Effect; and for the latter, let such as intend to cure
Distractions by sleepyfying things, take notice that stupifactive Medicines
do scarce procure sleep unto mad persons by a four-fold Dose; and when all
is done, they increase the Madness; for Madness is nothing but an Erring
Sleepifying Power, because every Madman dreameth waking; and therefore
Stupefactive Dreams are thereby added unto doting Dreams in waking, and so
the mind more disturbed then before. Therefore undoubtedly, the healing
Character in a Madman, presupposes a restoring of the hurt reason, and a
correction of the Poyson by its Antidote, but not another stupefactive
Poyson to be added unto it. And as Stupifying Medicines are of little
value, but rather prejudicial, so, much more mischievous is too much
Company, and prating, and especially, the Teazing of such distempered
People with unnecessary Questions; on which score, as I must acknowledge
that Gallant Structure of New Bethlam to be one of the Prime Ornaments of
the City of London, and a Noble Monument of Charity, so I would with all
Humility beg the Honorable and worthy Governours thereof, that they would
be pleased to use some Effectual means, for restraining their inferior
Officers, from admitting such Swarms of People, of all Ages and Degrees,
for only a little paltry Profit to come in there, and with their noise, and
vain questions to disturb the poor Souls; as especially such, as do Resort
thither on Holy-dayes, and such spare time, when for several hours (almost
all day long) they can never be at any quiet, for those importunate
Visitants, whence manifold great inconveniences do arise. For,
First, Tis a very Undecent, Inhumane thing to make, as it were, a Show of
those Unhappy Objects of Charity committed to their Care, (by exposing
them, and naked too perhapes of either Sexs) to the Idle Curiosity of every
vain Boy, petulant Wench, or Drunken Companion, going along from one
Apartment to the other, and Crying out; This Woman is in for Love; That Man
for Jealousie. He has Over-studied himself, and the Like.
Secondly, This staring Rabble seldom fail of asking more then an hundred
impertinent Questions. - As, what are you here for ? How Long have you
been here, &c. which most times enrages the Distracted person, tho calm and
quiet before, and then the poor Creature falls a Raving .. .
Thirdly, As long as such Disturbances are suffered, there is little Hope
that any Cure or Medicine should do them good to reduce them to their
Senses or right Minds, as we call it, and so the very Principle end of the
House is defeated. Certainly the most hopeful means towards their Recovery
would be to keep them with a Clean Spare Diet, and as quiet as may be, and
to let none come at them but their particular Friends, Grave sober People
and such as they have a kindness for, and those to, not alwayes, but only
at proper times, whereby discoursing with them in their Lused Intervals
Gravely, Soberly, and Discreetly, and humouring them in little things,
shall do much more, I am Consident, toward their Cure, then most of the
Medicines that are commonly Administred.
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