Book of Medical Treatment for Slaves, 1840

Certain types of insanity were found only within the “peculiar institution” of slavery. One was called drapetomania, the disease which caused slaves to run away. The best prevention was kind treatment, but the cure was a good whipping.

Runaway Slave

Another disease was dyaethesia aethiopica, or rascality. To cure it, victims needed stimulating baths, fresh air and labor, and then wholesome food and rest.

Many doctors and slave owners didn’t necessarily believe in these kinds of unique mental afflictions, but apologists for slavery often pointed out that insanity was rare among slaves. However, that was probably accounted for by the lack of effort to diagnose and treat mental illness in slaves. In reality,  problematic behavior in slaves due to mental illness, probably led to their sale rather than treatment.

Plantation Slaves

________________________________________________________