Title : Finding Dirk: Records of Insane Asylums in Illinois Date : Tuesday, January 10, 2017, 8:00 pm Central Description : Individuals were committed to "insane asylums" for a variety of reasons in the 19th century--sometimes necessary and sometimes by others for personal reasons. This presentation explores the evolution of care of the mentally ill in the 18th century starting with Bethlam Hospital in London, the source of the term "bedlam," through to the early 20th century. The records publicly available during this era is wider than one might expect and certainly contains more information than one would see today. The presenter also petitioned the courts for the records of 3 mental hospitals, containing information that was initially withheld. Tracing the experiences of a patient who was confined in the Jacksonville, Elgin and Peoria (Illinois) asylums between the years of 1872 and 1905, we can identify the changes in care and record keeping for Dirk B...
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