Hallaran’s circulating swing

Abstract

William Saunders Hallaran (c.1765-1825) was physician superintendent at the County and City of Cork Lunatic Asylum for 40 years, where he distinguished between mental insanity and organic (systemic) delirium. In treatment he used emetics and purgatives, digitalis and opium, the shower bath and exercise, and argued that patients should be saved from 'unavoidable sloth' by mental as well as manual occupation. However, it is as an exponent of the circulating swing, proposed by Erasmus Darwin and used by Joseph Cox, that he is remembered. His best results were achieved, as he recorded in An Enquiry in 1810, by inducing sleep in mania of recent onset, but perhaps his most enduring observation was that some of his patients enjoyed the rotatory experience, and he had enough sense to allow the use of the swing as a mode of amusement.

The Moving History of Vestibular Stimulation as a Therapeutic Intervention

“…Such studies are feasible since vestibular stimulation is readily available, inexpensive and many of the discussed disorders, like sleep disorders, chronic pain, depression and anxiety, are unfortunately very prevalent. (Breathnach, 2010), B) the device used by Ernst Mach for experimental purposes (Mach, 1875) and C) Bárány's rotating chair that he used for clinical diagnostics (Barany, 1907). water irrigation, and c balloon filled with water (see also Baloh, 2002).…”

“…He is therefore often identified as the 'discoverer' of the nystagmus (Barany, 1907;Breathnach, 2010), although postrotatory eye movements had already been described by Darwin and Wells (Wade, 2000;Wade et al, 2001). A more detailed description of the vestibular system, including the semicircular canals, was later provided by Ernst Mach and Alexander Crum Brown (Wade, 2000).…”

The Moving History of Vestibular Stimulation as a Therapeutic Intervention

“…2A for a picture of his bedside setup). In fact, exactly 100 years ago, Bárány (1914) was awarded the Nobel Prize of Medicine for his remarkable contributions (Breathnach, 2010;Lopez and Blanke, 2014;Wade, 2005). Thanks to otologists, who routinely prescribed syringing to remove cerumen, it was already known that syringing with warm or cold water could induce vertigo (Goltz, 1870) and provoke eye movements, while use of body temperature water and syringing in an upright position does not lead to these symptoms.…”

“…Hallaran noted, 200 years ago, that a few psychiatric patients used the motion device in the asylum for amusement (Breathnach, 2010). Today, they are an inherent part of playgrounds (swings, seesaw, rocking horses) and amusement parks (carousel, ferris wheel, roller coasters, graviton, tilt-a-whirl, drop tower).…”

“…From the analysis of Cox's (1806) case reports it seems that he also treated patients with anxiety disorders on his swing, even if it is difficult to determine a clear psychopathological diagnosis based on his descriptions. He and also Hallaran further mention the cure of mania with motion devices (Breathnach, 2010), but again there is reasonable doubt as to whether their definition of mania would transfer to modern diagnostic criteria. Kelly (1989) describes a therapeutic approach in which rotation and spinning were applied in various body positions to provide complete vestibular stimulation of the semi-circular canals in order to treat agoraphobia.…”