In 1997, the Bethlam Royal Hospital will be 750 years old. This text presents glimpses of life in Bethlam Royal Hospital, Britain's longest-established mental institution. With hindsight, the practices of another time may seem inhumane and ineffective. The book features many of the characters who cared for the mentally ill and many of Bethlam's more famous patients. It offers the reader an insight into the many changes made to the treatment of the mentally disordered.