Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals

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This week's episode outlines the history of Danvers State Hospital from 1912 until it closure in 1992. Find out what happens to the site after the hospital closed down and how it is being used today.

Most of my information is drawn from the Images of America book on Danvers State Hospital by Katherine Anderson and Robert Duffy. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week's episode covers the first four decades of Danvers State Hospital (originally the State Lunatic Asylum at Danvers). Learn why people believed the land the asylum was built on was cursed. Find out what was later discovered in the abandoned hospital that had been preserved from the early days of the pathology lab. We'll also look at the ways in which Danvers was progressive for its time.

The main source for this episode is the Images of America book called Danvers State Hospital by Katherine Anderson and Robert Duffy. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week's episode focuses on the story of Mary Huestis Pengilly, who was sent to the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in St. John, New Brunswick, at age 61. Learn about Mary's history and what possibly led to her admission to the asylum. Hear Mary's own words from her diary about her experience in the asylum -- from endearing women she met on the wards to rough nurses who abused their patients.

The main source used in this episode is Mary Huestis Pengilly's Diary Written in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, published in 1885. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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In this episode, we discuss the last century of history at the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, now called the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Find out about the murder that led to the "trial of the century" and sparked public interest in learning about insanity and psychiatry. Learn what methods of treatment were used at the hospital before the advent of psychotropic medications. And discover how CAMH is currently serving its community.

All sources are listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week's episode covers the history of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum over the course of 50 years (1857-1907). Find out what treatments were used during the superintendentship of Drs. Workman and Clark. Learn why one group was disproportionately represented in the asylum and in Toronto jails.

All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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In this week's episode, we discuss the socio-political events that led to the construction of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in Toronto, Canada. Find out why it took so long for the asylum to be constructed and why it was only half-built by the time it opened in 1850. Learn about the very turbulent first decade of the asylum's history and why the medical superintendent sued a local newspaper for libel.

All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

Check out our Patreon page for ways to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/BehindtheWallsPodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link&fbclid=IwAR1ld32NVDCfgMPH_jqewjiJJ67U8avf340ry7NUbvpysVS7HwP0vF3Twuo

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Episode 46 discusses one of Napa State Hospital's most notorious patients, Richard Allen Davis. Find out why he was sent to Napa, why he only stayed eight days, and how his life of crime effected significant change in the criminal justice system around the U.S.

All sources are listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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Episode 45 covers the history of the new hospital buildings: how they were used during WWII and how they evolved to eventually house 4,991 patients. Find out why the Navy was using tree bark from the hospital grounds, learn why visitors are not allowed into state hospitals today, and discover how then-Governor Ronald Reagan kickstarted deinstitutionalization.

Much of the information in this episode is drawn from the Napa County Historical Society website and the Images of America book Napa State Hospital by Patricia Prestinary. All other sources are listed in the episode transcript.

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Episode 44 discusses the history of Napa State Hospital from 1901 until the demolition of the Castle in 1950. Find out how the hospital was impacted by events, like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, WWI and WWII, and the Influenza epidemic of 1918. Learn about some of the treatments used during this time period and what finally led to the California Governor saying the Castle was unsafe.

Most of the information from today's episode was drawn from the Images of America book called Napa State Hospital by Patricia Prestinary, as well as the Napa County Historical Society website. All other sources are listed in the episode transcript.

I've started a Patreon page! Check it out and start supporting the show here: https://www.patreon.com/BehindtheWallsPodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link&fbclid=IwAR1ld32NVDCfgMPH_jqewjiJJ67U8avf340ry7NUbvpysVS7HwP0vF3Twuo

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Episode 43 covers the first three decades of "The Castle" at Napa Insane Asylum in Napa, California. Find out why tourists were drawn to the asylum and what they did while they were there. Learn what my connection is to Napa State Hospital and the rigorous process it took to get me there.

My primary source for this episode is Images of America: Napa State Hospital, by Patricia Prestinary. All other sources will be listed in the episode transcript.

Check out my Beacons page for ways to support the show: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast

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