Medical Malpractice

Have any useful information about old fashion lunatic asylums or mental institutions?

I'm doing a project about lunatic asylums for my psychology class, and I'm having troubles finding detailed information, so If you could help me out, that would be great. Anything about the kinds of treatments they used, the reasons for admittance, common illnesses, even some general history or good sites would be helpful.

Public Comments

1. Well, I'd have to say they are remarkably unhelpful. The buildings are usually old and in desperate need of renovations, the toilets flush unusually loudly, and the main door shuts very loudly, making sensitive patients aggrevated by the noise, which aggrevates their condition. Some nurses are compassionate and helpful while some are practical and some are overreactive. I even found an elevator in one where the 5th floor button was erased and you had to press 4 to get to 5. It was just screwed up. Oh, and the psychiatrists are usually bent on prescribing drugs instead of promoting holistic practices like nutrition and meditation.
2. You need to do a search for Nellie Bly. She was a monumental figure in the 19th century; one of the most intrepid investigative journalists ever. She checked herself into a mental hospital in NY as a patient and wrote about the horrible conditions that people in it were subjected to. You can also google Bedlam Hospital.