Over the course of the nineteenth century, medical experts learned a good deal about mental health issues. Improvements in care varied from state to state and hospital to hospital. However, even after Bly’s investigation into Blackwell’s Island, journalists continued to cover problems in large mental institutions.
Waterbury Evening Democrat. Waterbury, Conn. Feb. 18, 1898. Library of Congress
Annotate this Image
Directions: Read the article “Treatment of Insane: Mental Diseases Evidently Are Not Yet Fully Understood“ (second and third columns), using the magnifier tool to help you. Then use the annotation tool to answer the following questions:
- What might the subheadings tell you about the main idea of the article?
- What does the reporter mean when he states, “The institution smelled of politics to the core”?
- How did the drawings add to your understanding of the article?
- Does the journalist seem hopeful about the state of mental health hospitals? Explain.
- Why do you think the journalist chose to write the piece in the first person (using “I” statements)?
Download the notes to share with your class.
Source: Waterbury Evening Democrat. Waterbury, Conn. Feb. 18, 1898. Library of Congress
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