Mental diseases: a public health problemMay, James Vance
Science
Mental diseases: a public health problem
May, James Vance
Mental health services; Psychology, Pathological
an insurmountable barrier against his recovery. Cut off from all the
charities of life, endued with quickened sensibilities to pain, and
perpetually stung by annoyances which, though individually small, rise
by constant accumulation to agonies almost beyond the power of mortal
sufferance; if his exiled mind in its devious wanderings ever approach
the light by which it was once cheered and directed, it sees everything
unwelcoming, everything repulsive and hostile, and is driven away
into returnless banishment."[18] The investigation conducted by this
committee led to the establishment of the Worcester Lunatic Hospital,
later the Worcester State Hospital, opened on January 19, 1833. The
original building was designed to care for one hundred and twenty
patients. After many years of agitation on the part of the public,
the hospital was removed to a site overlooking Lake Quinsigamond in
the outskirts of Worcester in 1877. It was soon found that it was
impracticable to dispense with the use of the old building on Summer
Street and it became the Worcester Insane Asylum, later the Worcester
State Asylum, and finally the Grafton State Hospital. In 1919 it again
became a part of the Worcester State Hospital. The original building is
in excellent condition today and promises an indefinite continuation of
an unusual career of usefulness. Many men destined to occupy positions
of importance in the psychiatric world were trained within its walls.
The death of a prominent politician in 1806 is said to have led
indirectly to the establishment of the first hospital for mental
diseases in Vermont.[19] His medical advisers treated him for some
form of mental alienation by submerging him in water until he became
unconscious. It was thought that this "would divert his mind and, by
breaking the chain of unhappy associations, thus remove the cause of
his disease." As this plan failed he was given opium as "the proper
agent for the stupefaction of the life forces." In spite of this
vigorous treatment he died. The immediate event which made possible
the incorporation of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane in 1835 was a
legacy of ten thousand dollars rendered available for this purpose
by the will of Mrs. Anna Marsh of Hinsdale. The hospital was opened
in Brattleboro in 1836 and became the Brattleboro Retreat after the
establishment of the State Hospital at Waterbury. The state care of
mental diseases began in Ohio with the establishment of the Columbus
State Hospital, which was opened on November 30, 1838. This was the
first of a number of institutions now under the supervision of the Ohio
Board of Administration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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