Before I proceed to what we now believe is the explanation of this exceptionally bad spell, let me quote Hill’s account of one of his experiences about this time. It occurred during the latter half of August, when he returned from Gumush Suyu, and I believe the persons responsible were the administrative authorities of Haidar Pasha, and not the doctors of the mental ward, who were absent at the time.
After describing how he was taken to the depôt he says:
“A man came and told me to ‘come along.’ He started off along the outside of the building at about three times the speed I could go, making for the entrance to the bath and taking no heed as to whether I followed or not. I wandered along behind until he was out of sight round the corner, and then turned at right angles, sat down behind a rose-bush and read the Bible.
“He found me a few minutes later and we proceeded to the bath together at my maximum speed. Having undressed, I was shown the door of the bathroom and told to go in. I went in and started pouring water over myself. A few minutes later the man and a still filthier Turk came in and had a look at me. They muttered something to each other and went out again. The filthier one came back with a worn-out, blunt and rusty razor, and a strop. He looked at me and proceeded to strop the razor. I began to feel uneasy.
“He then made me soap my face and head, and proceeded to shave both, if it can be called a ‘shave.’ It was more like tearing out by the roots. My head was sore for a week afterwards.
“After shaving all the hair I possessed except my eyebrows, he left me. I sat for about half an hour, and then wandered out, with nothing on. I was met in the outer room by the first man, who sent me back into the bath. I stayed there reading the Bible for about a quarter of an hour, and then wandered out again with the same result. So I settled down and read the Bible until it was too dark to see, and then sat in my usual position with my head in my hands.
“All this time there was a man in the bathroom who was apparently neglected like myself, but probably there to watch me. Many others came and went.
“About 8.30 p.m.[[78]] a man brought in some pyjamas for me and for some Turkish soldiers who had collected in the bathroom. We were all herded together and taken outside. At the door the man in charge took my bundle of toilet things from me and went through the contents. He threw the things into the corner, one by one, except a piece of very inferior soap, which he gave me. This was stolen from me by someone else during the night.
“We were taken along the passage, past the ward Jones and I were in before, and to the other side of the hospital. Here most of the patients were put into a ward. I and the man who had been with me all the time in the bathroom were kept waiting while the orderly who brought us had a confab with another at the ward. After which we were taken back to the bath!
“After a short time we were taken back to the ward again. I stayed there all night. I was not given any food....”