In 1910, a two-storey hospital was built to accomodate roughly 40-50 patients who were stricken with tuberculosis. This was to be known as Waverly Hills Sanitorium. However another outbreak of tuberculosis broke out and this prompted another hospital to be opened.
The hospital closed in 1962 due to a revolutionary drug (at the time) which lessened the need for patients with TB to be admitted to hospitals such as Waverly.
In 1912, a children's pavilion was added to the site that could accomodate 50 more beds. This was not only for sick children but for those whose parents suffered with TB and had no one else to look after them properly.
It has become a popular site for paranormal shows like Ghost Hunters and even Most Haunted have come to investigate it too.
Here are some images of the sanitorium as it was and how it is now.
Before
After
Information was taken and reworded from Wikipedia, images are from whsmemorial.tripod.com
mentalfloss.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoF3zl8AdzY
http://www.examiner.com/article/waverly-hills-sanatorium-2015-ghost-tours-kicked-off-despite-winter-weather
In 1247, a hospital was formed as the Priory of the New Order of St Mary of Bethlem in Bishopsgate, London. In the early days it was more used as a centre for alms which helped the Crusader Church. But soon afterwards in the 15th century, 6 people who were classed as "mad folk" were admitted and the rest they say is history.
Bethlem has moved location four times and is still Europe's oldest pyschiatric institution. The first location was at Bishopsgate . It was built over sewers which inevitably led to the drains overflowing and it flowed into the main entrance.
The second building was at Moorfields and it was a lot more eloquent than it's sister building at Bishopsgate. However it quickly garnered the label "Palace of Lunatics* and how it was run was no better to the treatment of mentally ill people at Bishopsgate. The patients were left to do things on their own, they were starved or given the minimum food and water.
It would take me all day to write about the history of Bethlem so the link to the background is http://www.gutsandgore.co.uk/infamous-asylums/bethlem-royal-hospital/
This is where the snippets of information I've already provided are from.
A couple of patients from Bethlem now to share with you.
William Green, who suffered from acute mania.
Harriet Jordan, who also suffered from acute mania.
Images are from
http://www.bromleytimes.co.uk/news/bromley_s_bethlem_hospital_aims_to_collaborate_on_mental_health_project_with_photographer_rankin_1_3212041
In the Victorian Era, one name stood out from all the mental asylums that were dotted across the UK. The West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum was founded in 1818 and was designed by Samuel Tyke. Before the insitution was built, the other single asylum in Yorkshire was based at York which had been shrouded in scandal and it brought about the Quaker Retreat in York itself.
The first big name to direct the asylum was WIlliam Charles Ellis who instrumented the growth of the asylum's holding of patients from 150 patients to well over 1,000 in 35 years. This sounded about right considering the national figures for that time period increased from 5,000 to a whopping 50,000.
In more modern times, the last major news story to come out from the asylum was the death of 19 patients and the infection of 300 more after a food poisoning outbreak occured. Whether this led to the asylum finally closing it's doors remains to be seen.
The original building still stands today and it had a small museum that houses various original objects of the time of the asylum. I shall have to pay a visit one day.
There is no individuals at the asylum that have been named so I shall post a couple of photos of some patients housed at the asylum. (P.S. They may be upsetting images so look away now if you are easily upset)
References - Information from www.bshs.org.uk/travel-guide/west-riding-lunatic-asylum-wakefield
Images locations are from unknown sources.
In today's world, our knowledge and understanding of mental health is a lot better than it used to be. And when I say that, the 1900's was a time when doctors could not understand fully the mental state of people who suffered atrociously in squalid conditions in what were known as mental asylums. This is why I aim to find out what and why these poor people went through what they did on top of their mental health declining. I'll also be questioning why the term "lunatic" was used so freely back then.
(All images and information will be referenced at the bottom of the page)
Through a series of blogs, I'll be looking at different asylums all over the world, how they differed from each other and I'll put in a case study of an certain individual from each asylum. I'll be honest, I've discovered there was a mental asylum in Wakefield, England which is close to where I live and I never even knew it existed. I saw an image which was both shocking and saddening at the same time. It was taken circa 1869 and features a patient being restrained in a chair at what was known as the West Riding Lunatic Asylum. Here it is.
The next blog post will be about the West Riding Luncatic Asylum.
