Tag Archives: James McLaughlin

Deficits in Care

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James McLaughlin

Inspectors regularly toured the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians, and generally found the buildings in order. Even non-medical men, however, could see early on that the institution wasn’t really fulfilling its purpose. A report by James McLaughlin in 1910 says: “The present facilities for care of the insane patients meet requirements as to baths, meals and sleeping accommodations, but for the proper treatment of those who might be benefited by some special course, there are no facilities.”

By this time, Dr. Turner had resigned from his duties at the asylum and his replacement, Dr. Hardin, had also resigned. Superintendent Dr. Harry Hummer was the only medical person on staff–the same situation Dr. Turner had been in under the asylum’s first superintendent. However, Dr. Hummer had to run the asylum as well as provide medical care, since the assistant superintendent’s position was never subsequently filled. Even though Dr. Turner’s attempts at psychiatric care had been modest at best, Dr. Hummer apparently let even these small efforts go by the wayside.

Meeting of the Medical Staff, Kankakee Mental Hospital, circa 1910

Psychiatric Patients in Steam Cabinets, circa 1910, courtesy American Psychiatric Association Archives

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Land and People

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Canton Asylum for Insane Indians

Canton Asylum for Insane Indians

Inspector James McLaughlin’s report (see 9/30/10 post) is especially interesting when one compares the emphasis on the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians’ facilities, with the comfort of its patients. Besides the substantial buildings he noted, McLaughlin also mentioned that the asylum had 100 acres of land.

This acreage had been purchased for $30.00/acre and in 1910 was worth about $100/acre. About half of it was used to grow grain for the asylum’s cattle, as well as vegetables for the patients. The rest of the land was meadow and pasture, which allowed grazing in the summer and forage in the winter, for cattle and horses.

Pasture Land Near Castle Creek, S.D., courtesy U.S. Geographical Survey

Pasture Land Near Castle Creek, S.D., courtesy U.S. Geographical Survey

The building had been designed for 48 patients, and held 61 at the time of McLaughlin’s visit (September, 1910). There was no hospital, and only three rooms where patients with a communicable disease could be isolated. The septic system didn’t work, and drained raw sewage onto the grounds. McLaughlin said that the problem needed to be addressed immediately…not for the health of the patients, but to avoid trouble with the county commissioners.

Canton, SD High School, 1919

Canton, SD High School, 1919

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Living the Life

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Example of Electric Light Lamps, courtesy Early Office Museum

Example of Electric Light Lamps, courtesy Early Office Museum

Many insane asylums were huge institutions filled with hundreds of patients. This was never true of the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians, which seldom housed more than 90 patients at its most crowded.

Though the facility couldn’t boast too much about its size, its superintendents usually pointed with pride to its physical features. In 1910, inspector James McLaughlin noted that Canton Asylum had eighteen buildings, including its barns, sheds, corn cribs, and graneries.

The main building was two stories tall, with a jasper granite stone foundation. A basement ran underneath the entire building; it had a cement floor and  brick partition walls. The asylum also had a large attic, which had been divided into compartments but was not finished. These rooms were used for storage and for drying clothes during bad weather.

The two stories were each 11 feet high, which probably helped give it a spacious feeling. There were 120 electric-light lamps, a wonderful amenity for that time and place. To most visitors, the asylum looked both beautiful and well-functioning.

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