Treatment

29/4/1994 Troyes, France.  L'Est-clair.  Records of a well respected French psychiatrist, who died last year, reveled some very unorthodox treatments for patients who were suspected of having mild personality disorders or bi-polar syndrome.  Patients files that were archived in the 1980's showed that some professionals consider them 'quack' treatments, 'basically consisting of mild forms of torture'.  

In the late 60's, Dr. Marsellies would often administer a form of sensory deprivation where the patient was restrained using nothing more but rope or cord as well as being blindfolded and gagged.  Once the patients were made immobile, they were left in a soundproof room for number of hours.  

Accompanying the records were also photographs showing the method of the treatment.  This very early example (and believed to be the first time this method was tried) is of the Dr's own step daughter who suffered from mild seizures.  8mm film showed the process as the girl was carefully bound by the Dr. and his assistant.  A leather cloth was inserted into her mouth and held in place by a bandage, effectively gagging her.  This was to prevent her from biting her own tongue.  A similar bandage was tied across her eyes, blindfolding her.  The room she was left in was the clinic's own 'dark room' for developing x-rays and had been modified with sound deadening materials.  

In later tests, a special canvass suit was tailored with leather straps to immobilize the patient.   Notes also showed that plans were made for a deprivation tank that contained sea water maintained at body temperature, but these plans were abandoned due to funding issues.