Buzz
In the early 1900s, insane asylums thrived as a booming business, and it wasn’t difficult for nearly anyone to be branded as "insane" and sent to one. A 1903 newspaper article reveals an asylum doctor admitting:
A person to be tried in Kentucky for lunacy is often brought before a jury of ignorant, uneducated, and undemanding men—easily found after a month’s travel. The officers pick up random individuals. Who would trust their sanity to the discarded and outcast members of society?
Harsh as these words may be, they seem to hold some truth. A century ago, being sent to an asylum could be as simple as wearing the “wrong” clothes or driving too fast.
10. Speeding
Are you crazy for speeding? In 1922, getting caught speeding in Detroit might have led to a mental health evaluation, though some judges would have preferred to throw you in jail. One newspaper headline read: "Sanity Test for Detroit Auto Speeders."
If a speeder failed the evaluation administered by the court’s psychiatrist, they would be sent to an asylum for "treatment." What exactly that "treatment" entailed is anyone’s guess. These same offenders would also have their driver’s license revoked, with no opportunity to apply for a new one.
One judge remarked:
I believe this new approach will prevent thousands of accidents every year. The Police Commissioner has informed me that under my plan of jailing speeders, despite the fact that there are far more cars on the streets this year compared to last, we’ve seen 3,301 fewer accidents, and reckless driving has dropped from 80 percent to 50 percent. If this is the outcome of my jail sentence plan, imagine the results under the mental examination approach.
9. Excessive Studying
Is it possible to study your way into an insane asylum? While preparing for final exams might have made you feel like you were losing your mind, you might not have known that some people’s minds can truly break under such pressure. This was particularly common for women in 1915.
The Day Book, a Chicago-based newspaper, reported that two sisters were committed to an asylum by a county judge after reportedly studying the teachings of Christian Science to the point where their “minds broke down.”
Christian Science, founded in 1879 by Mary Baker Eddy and 15 followers who established the Church of Christ, is a religion still practiced today, most famously known for its controversial approach to faith healing. Christian Scientists prioritize prayer and homeopathy over conventional medical treatment, and are often in the news when a child is denied vital medical care.
8. Reading Early in the Morning
Come on, ladies. Not only should you steer clear of studying, which could drive you insane, but getting caught reading a book is also seen as proof that something is off with you.
The following report sounds like it came from a totalitarian regime where every move must be monitored. Unfortunately, this was from Chicago in 1915: “Alice Ostwald . . . found on corner at 5:00 AM reading novel. Sent to insane asylum.”
This could have easily been any passionate reader. When a book is just too good, there’s no sleep until the last page is turned. But why was she on a street corner? Most likely for the light. Street lamps were often the only source of light for many, especially the poor, at night.
Perhaps she was simply spending some quiet time reading before heading off to work at one of Chicago's many factories during that period. Regardless of the cause, it seems a bit harsh to send someone away just because they were engrossed in a book in the early morning hours.
7. Growing Up with an Alcoholic Father
In 1913, The Day Book published a troubling article entitled: 'Shall We Build More Asylums Or Stop Breeding Epileptic, Idiotic, And Insane Children?' This piece examined the growing number of 'insane' children and the demand for more institutional spaces.
The report suggested that the root cause of these so-called 'idiotic' children was often poverty coupled with an alcoholic father. It described a situation where a destitute woman with six children was forced into juvenile court. She had no money for basic necessities like food or rent, and her husband was a heavy drinker. Although she wanted to leave him, she could not due to the meager financial support he occasionally gave her family.
The judge is then placed in a difficult position. As stated in the article:
The judge finds two equally difficult paths before him, neither of which he wishes to take. He could instruct the mother to say goodbye forever to her children and send them to an asylum. Alternatively, he could chastise the intoxicated father, demand that he provide for his family, and force the wife and mother to return to live with him.
In other words, even though there was no concrete evidence to suggest that any of the children were truly 'insane,' they could still be sent to an asylum due to uncontrollable circumstances.
6. Living in Poverty
Historical newspapers are filled with stories of impoverished individuals being committed to insane asylums. This frequently happened to women who were dependent on their husbands' earnings for survival.
In 1913, a report described a woman who had worked as a stenographer. At 45 years old, she faced a 'critical period in her life' when she was unable to continue working. She took the necessary time off, but eventually, her finances ran dry.
She reached out to a group called United Charities for assistance, but they promptly declared her insane and had her committed to an asylum. She was detained there as a prisoner for five years. Upon turning 50, she was released and subsequently sued the 'county for false imprisonment.'
In another heartbreaking story from 1921, an African-American woman was found wandering the streets barefoot, with her five-month-old baby in her arms. Both mother and child were placed in an insane asylum simply because her sister had previously been committed to one.
It can only be speculated that the woman lacked the resources or support needed to care for her infant. Instead of receiving the help she truly needed, she was sent away, out of sight and out of mind.
5. Dressing in Men's Clothing
In today's world, there is much controversy over transgender individuals using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. However, in the early 1900s, transgender people were often confined to insane asylums.
Evidence of this can be found in the brief snippets of news in newspapers from a century ago. One such headline in a 1916 paper read, 'Mrs. Emma Miller . . ... sent to insane asylum. Put on pants and worked as man.'
Although there is no evidence to suggest she was transgendered, it's notable that people at the time were deeply offended by a woman daring to dress as a man, let alone work in a man's role. Tragically, during those days, women could not earn enough money to survive independently. Marriage was often the only means of survival.
The woman mentioned in the snippet was clearly married, but she might have been widowed or simply needed to earn additional income to support her family. The article provided no further details. What mattered to society was that she dressed and worked like a man. How absurd is that?
4. Epilepsy
Epilepsy was once (and sometimes still is) attributed to demonic possession. Over a century ago, individuals displaying symptoms of epilepsy were often sent to insane asylums, especially if a family member was unwilling to provide full-time care.
In 1895, Mrs. Mary Brown was deemed mentally unstable and committed to an asylum. The stated reason for her commitment was that 'she is subject to epilepsy and was seriously burned last spring by falling into the fire during an attack.'
If she wasn't a widow, one might wonder if her husband pushed for the insanity ruling to avoid caring for her, a common occurrence in those days. Given that epilepsy has no cure, many sufferers of the condition were likely abandoned in asylums and left to fade from memory.
3. Annoying the Wrong Person
Back in the early 1900s, one had to be cautious about who they upset. Take Mrs. Helen Pike, for instance, who was committed to an insane asylum in 1917 simply for irritating a streetcar magnate. The exact reasons for her annoyance or how she provoked the man were never clarified. She was merely taken to court and sent away without further explanation.
Annoying the President of the United States, however, could be even worse. In 1916, Richard Cullen found himself sent to an asylum, possibly permanently, after he 'persistently attempted to approach President Wilson during [the] chief executive’s automobile tour of the city.'
The young man was deemed insane and became a resident of the Marshalsea institution in Allegheny County, known for housing those considered mentally unfit. The article made no mention of any direct threat to the president. He was simply attempting to get his attention.
2. The Challenge of Enduring Long Working Hours
In 1915, laborers were advocating for the introduction of the eight-hour workday to prevent being compelled to work over 10 hours daily, six days a week. Employers opposed the eight-hour day since it would force them to hire additional workers to maintain operations continuously, ultimately reducing their profit margins.
One attorney representing the Associated Employer’s Association argued that “workers unable to meet the employers’ required work hours should be evaluated by a doctor and, if found incapable of performing the tasks, be sent to the state asylum for care.”
Given that individuals were often sent to mental institutions for trivial reasons, the mere threat of an examination for mental stability was likely enough to silence many workers.
1. Engaging in Intimacy with a Self-Absorbed Partner
In 1896, a story emerged about a young woman who had an attraction to older men. Despite having faced difficulties because of her preferences in the past, she remained undeterred. Eventually, she met a ‘prominent elderly gentleman’ and claimed they had intimate relations. She sought to make things right by asking him to marry her.
The man denied her request and “accused her of being insane.” The woman underwent an examination, and “the board deemed her mentally unstable and instructed that she be sent to the asylum.” Some time after, it was revealed that she was expecting a child.
The asylum could no longer accommodate the young woman as it wasn’t a secure place for a pregnant individual, and it was clear that “someone” had indeed been involved with her, as she had stated. She was returned to her county, with no additional details provided about her fate.
