Answer:
The mentally ill were sometimes experimented on with treatments that sometimes caused more harm than good.
Explanation:
This passages points out both the good intentions and the harmful consequences of trying out new treatments on human subjects in the asylums.
It states that the institutions wanted to offer new and effective treatments to the patients, but that these were rudimentary and poorly understood and developed. This lack of refinement led to worse conditions for many of the mentally ill.
Political speeches usually address the topic of governmental policies.
