[The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes 05] - The Abduction of Pretty Penny by Leonard Goldberg

Author:Leonard Goldberg [Goldberg, Leonard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Historical, Adaptations & Pastiche, Traditional, Women Sleuths
ISBN: 9781250224231
Google: 28D3DwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B08FZ8YWNK
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Published: 2021-06-14T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

The Hanwell Asylum

Approaching Hanwell, our carriage was waved through the gated entrance without inspection. A delivery lorry leaving the mental institution was likewise allowed to pass without stopping. I also noted there was only a single guard at the gate and that the metal fence which surrounded the facility was at the most three feet high, all of which would make for an easy, unnoticed escape. The medical facility itself was unprotected and far more expansive than I had anticipated. It consisted of a cluster of imposing stone buildings that encircled a very large garden where men were busily at work.

Drawing up to the most impressive of the structures, we were greeted on the steps by Inspector Lestrade, who introduced us to the superintendent at Hanwell, Dr. Charles Marshall Ellis, an elderly physician with snow-white hair and a kind, welcoming face. As we walked down a long, quiet corridor, we encountered expressionless inmates, with dazed, faraway looks in their eyes, which was characteristic of the mentally ill. They, however, nodded to us and seemed pleased that we were visiting. Some even spoke a few cordial words, which we returned.

“We encourage them to walk about and interact with others,” said Ellis. “It seems to make them feel they are part of the outside world.”

“Are drugs used as well?” my father asked.

“Not as much as before,” Ellis replied. “We employ bromides which help soothe the most agitated and paraldehyde to quiet those at bedtime.”

We passed by a very large room that was filled with row after row of empty bedsteads which were no more than three feet apart. But unlike the beds at the doss-house, these were covered with clean sheets and pillows, all neatly arranged.

“May I ask where the inmates are?” I inquired.

“We refer to them as patients, for it gives them a bit more dignity,” Ellis corrected gently. “In answer to your question, we have a very tight schedule for those housed here, which for the most part keeps them occupied. They are awakened at six, at which time they are washed, their hair combed, and their skin inspected. At nine they are served breakfast, after which they begin their day’s work. Men work and farm the garden for the food we consume, while women are employed in the laundry and needle room. By eight in the evening, all are in bed.”

“It is not what I anticipated,” my father admitted. “Back in my days in medicine, the mentally unstable were not treated nearly as well, with filth, violence, and restraints being the order of the day.”

“Fortunately, we have changed and progressed, Dr. Watson,” Ellis said, as we approached a clearly agitated patient in a straitjacket being accompanied by an attendant. “But on some occasions, we have no recourse other than to keep the violent ones restrained.”

The patient glared at us as we passed, and snarled menacingly while making a sudden, aggressive move toward our group. His attendant held him back with a gentle tug on his straitjacket, much like he would do with a mean dog on a leash.

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