Alienists Could Be Prominent Public Figures
Alienists (psychiatrists) wanted to provide good care for the insane in their midst, and in the early years offered assistance primarily through therapeutic stays at insane asylums. These doctors’ favored regimens of rest, occupational therapy, and structured time probably served many patients well, but such programs could not help everyone. Alienists were still exploring the causes and treatments of insanity, and some of their thoughts missed the mark widely.
In an 1871 paper on mental disease (reported in the Transactions of the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina), the author described a “case of violent cerebral excitement” in a 5-year-old, which had been relieved by an oral dose of bromide of potassium. This case of “mental disease” seems to be clearly a case of epilepsy, and we can only wonder if the child was tagged for life as insane.
Another paper in the same publication discussed “Mania Transitoria,” or insanity of very short duration. During this type of mania, people could be fully aware of their surroundings (or not) and actions. It was brought on by such things as physical disease or the “accumulation of harbored feelings over a number of years.” The author seems to be describing explosions of temper or momentary passionate outbursts, but he attributed this type of insanity’s cause–or attributed it at least in part–to masturbation and petit mal epilepsy.
Craig Colony for Epileptics, courtesy museumofdisability.org
Cures For Epilepsy Were Plentiful
Ah, it can sometimes be difficult to find family records from institutions like these. Of course my own efforts were concentrated solely on the Canton Asylum in South Dakota, so I don’t know anything about the Kapalama Asylum. My first place to start is always with the institution itself, but if records are not there or the place no longer exists, there’s always a possibility that records were transferred to a local historical society or the state archives. Simply see if there’s a historical society in the town the asylum was in, and ask–people affiliated with it should be glad to help you or point you in the right direction. I wish you the best of luck, because sometimes these records no longer exist, or are sealed under HIPPA laws. Sometimes the last surviving relative can get them, but every state is different.
aloha…am seeking information on my ancestor, amos starr cooke, who was a patient in
the kapalama insane asylum for 10 years until his death in 1971. Please let me know if
there is another site for patients’ records. mahalo nui for your help, much appreciated.
Laurel