A Visionary Madness: The Case of James Tilly Matthews and the Influencing Machine

Great book, very well-written and should be of interest to anyone fascinated by history and mental health.

This was the best Christmas present I have had in a long time. It tells the poignant, heart-breaking story of a misunderstood man locked away from family and friends and the outside world for years and years. Mike Jay does a great job of unlocking the mysteries of James Tilly Matthews’ complex mind and how the tumultuous events of the French Revolution influenced him. But this is not just about the past. Jay shows how Matthews’ particular delusion marked a turning point between the old world and the new and became hugely important not just in the history of psychiatry but also in the development of art and literature. It is a compelling read, impossible to put down and leaves you with much to think about.

I came across the case of James Tilly Matthews totally by accident, followed a link to this book and am I glad I did. This is one of those wonderful books that throws a lot of fascinating material at you and gives your mind a feast. 'A Visionary Madness' is a mixture of history, both social and political, biography, psychology and cultural history. In this book, Mike Jay relates the history of James Tilly Matthews and examines it from a variety of angles.Instead of writing in a chronological way and in one set manner, Kay begins the book with a fictional and, by his own admission, speculative account of the events that led to Matthews arrest. The tale then covers the French revolution and Britain's response to that momentous and increasingly bloodthirsty event. The story essentially revolves around the question of whether Matthews was a political prisoner or was locked away because he was genuinely mad, because he believed he was being controlled by a bizarre piece of apparatus called the air loom.This case is important because it occurs at a point in the history of psychology where delusions no longer involved God, the devil and religion, but were changing with the world as machines came into everyday life. It is also of interest because of the political aspects. Did a combination of a repressive regime and a heartless doctor, Haslam, driven by his own ambition and blinkered views, conspire to unjustly imprison an individual? One of the themes of this book is the price the individual can pay when living in 'interesting times'. Where do we draw the line on this matter?Kay draws a very sympathetic portrait of Matthews and his unfortunate, rather shadowy, family, but never tells us what to think. All the varying views of this man are given a voice, including his own. Matthews comes across as a thoroughly decent man who can understand his own situation and that of his fellow patients and the staff in Bedlam, where he is incarcerated. Whilst an inmate there he designed a new hospital with the aim of improving the conditions and treatment for his companions and their carers.As well as the political side to this book, Kay writes much, and with sense and humanity, on the subject of 'mad doctoring'. He also covers how Matthews has been portrayed in history and culture since his death, proving what an elusive and slippery thing history is and how much of it is simply a reflection of the time in which it is written. There are many exhortations to make us think, but we are never told what to think and Kay is constantly on the alert for the problems posed by the benefit of hindsight.As you read this book, you are depressed by how much of this is still relevant and how little has changed. We all hear about the ill treatment of the mentally ill, the poor conditions in which they are kept, the neglect by governments of those who have helped them and the sometimes conflicting rights of the individual and society.So much is covered in this wide ranging book, yet it is very readable and genuinely exciting. This is a fine piece of work, so buy it, read it and find a place in your memory and heart for James Tilly Matthews, for his story contains much that we really do need to think about.