We have a dedicated page to historical treatments for insanity including psychosurgery. Newspaper sources are copyrighted by their respective authors/owners. In 1949, Dr. António Caetano de Abreu Freire Egas Moniz was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with physiologist Walter Rudolf Hess, for the development of the prefrontal leukotomy. A polarizing…
Category: Educational
State Hospital Rules and Regulations
This information pertains to regulations during the middle of the 20th century for state hospitals in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Regulations and laws were subject to change by acts of legislation. Please remember to keep this information in a historical perspective. Patient Care The director will authorize the admission of a legally committed patient so…
CSH: Martin Rollins Gallery
In January 1990, former CSH employees Martin Rollins visited the old campus and took a series of photos of the old CSH buildings. He did not realize at the time that within a few years, all of these buildings would only be a memory. Note: All photographs on this pages are used with explicit permission…
Insanity: Causes, Types, and Treatments
This is a three-part series regarding the historical causes, types, and treatments of insanity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Though focus is primarily on Kentucky institutions, these apply to other institutions throughout the United States. You can visit this page to read Kentucky’s historical lunacy laws. You can also check our glossary of anachronistic…
Kentucky School of Reform
Kentucky School of Reform (Lexington/Greendale) Please visit our section dedicated to this school on our website with more information and a photo gallery. In early 1902, there were nearly 300 boys and girls; 120 were white boys and 112 colored boys, 35 white girls and 20 colored girls. In 1902 the colored boys and girls…
1920s State Board of Charitable Institutions Documents and Reports
1923 survey of the Penal and Charitable Institutions by the State Board of Charities and Corrections. This survey examined ways to increase the efficacy of the treatment and care of inmates 1927 Report of Industries and Character of Work Performed at Each Institution, the Number of Patients at Work, and Plans for the Future 1923…
Disposition of Final Remains at KY Institutions
This is a set of early 1920s documents from the Commonwealth explaining the procedure for the disposition of final remains of those who died in any of Kentucky’s institutions. It does not include a list of patient names. Please note that these documents primarily relate up to and before the 1920s. Works Cited
Dorothea Dix: Crusader for the Insane
The beginnings of Dorothea “Dolly” Lynde Dix were shrouded in mystery for many years. Miss Dix, even in her later years, always remained secretive about her early life. In fact, many of her friends didn’t even know her date of birth. Eventually, it was uncovered that Miss Dix was born on the fourth of April,…
Madness: Treatments for Insanity
This is a very brief historical review of common methodologies for treating mental disorders. In the latter half of the 20th century, a number of non-invasive methods were used as well. The proceeding information should not be construed as medical advice. Please contact a physician or a licensed mental health practitioner if you have medical questions…
Kentucky Historic Institutions 