The book "Two years and four months in a hospital for the mentally ill from August 20, 1863 to December 20, 1865" impresses with its frankness and emotionality. Author Hiram Chase recounts his experiences in a 19th-century mental hospital, revealing the powerlessness of the system and the brutality of the patients. He describes the lack of treatment, the living conditions, and the psychological pressure he felt within the walls of the hospital. The reader will experience all the hopelessness and despair of the author, his attempts to resist the system, and his search for inner strength in such difficult conditions of existence. This book not only reveals the problems of the medical field of that time, but also makes the reader think about his own attitude towards those who need help and understanding.