Mental diseases: a public health problemMay, James Vance
Science
Mental diseases: a public health problem
May, James Vance
Mental health services; Psychology, Pathological
Influenced doubtless by the attention given to this subject in other
states, Maine opened its first state hospital at Augusta in 1840.
There were between two and three hundred mental cases in the state
at that time. A second hospital was opened at Bangor in 1889. This
humanitarian movement naturally extended to New Hampshire. Governor
Dinsmore in 1832[21] called attention to the condition of the insane,
seventy-six of whom were in confinement. Of this number seven were in
cells or cages, six in chains and irons and four in jail. Of those not
in confinement at the time, some had been handcuffed previously, while
others had been in cells or chained. After much unavoidable delay the
New Hampshire State Hospital was opened at Concord on October 29, 1842.
The next hospital development appeared in Georgia. After an active
campaign inaugurated by the physicians of the state and continued for
several years, the Georgia State Sanitarium was opened in Milledgeville
in December, 1842. It now houses over four thousand patients.
By this time it became evident that further procedures on behalf of
the persons requiring treatment for mental diseases in New York were
imperative. The Bloomingdale Hospital, although taxed to its utmost
capacity, was not able to meet the needs of the situation. In 1830
the population of the state had increased to nearly two million.
The report of a legislative committee showed that there were 2,695
insane persons in the state in 1830, with hospital accommodations at
Bloomingdale and one other private hospital at Hudson for only two
hundred and fifty of these cases. An extensive system of state care
was inaugurated by the opening of the Utica State Hospital on January
16, 1843. In addition to numerous other industries and occupations, a
printing office was established in the hospital and the publication
of the "American Journal of Insanity" was undertaken in 1844. This
was the first journal in the world to be devoted exclusively to the
subject of mental diseases. "The Opal," edited, published and printed
by the patients of the hospital, was started at the same time. In the
early days, strong rooms, padded cells and mechanical restraint of all
kinds were used extensively. The "Utica Crib" has received a great
deal of attention. This consisted of an ordinary ward bed enclosed in
wooden slats, making it impossible for the patient to escape. These
were eliminated for all time by Dr. G. Alder Blumer in 1887. Attendants
were first required to wear uniforms in 1887. During the following
year female nurses were assigned for the first time to male wards.
Annual field day exercises for the benefit of the patients have been
held since 1887. Baseball games, steamboat excursions, Fourth of July
celebrations and Christmas entertainments have been in vogue since
1888. With the development of a large department on the "Marcy" site,
nine miles from the city, the Utica State Hospital promises to add new
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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