"The Livermore Sanitarium was started in 1893 by Dr. John W. Robertson for the treatment of nervous and general diseases. Since 1894, however, it has been practically devoted to the treatment of mental diseases.
In 1912 Dr. V. H. Podstata, formerly superintendant of Elgin State Hospital, Illinois, and Dr. Willhite of Dunning, Chicago, became interested in the institution, since when it has been conducted under the joint names of Drs. Robertson, Podstata and Willhite.
There are no large buildings, but many isolated cottages, some for single individuals, and all without either window guards or enclosed restraints. All patients receive individual nursing and care.
The general hydropathic building was completed in 1906 and occupies grounds entirely separate from the cottages."
From: Insitutional Care of the Insane in the United States and Canada, 1916, Volume 2, p. 59. Photo from Oakland: Athens of the Pacific, 1897, p. 38.
1 comment:
It seems as if the Livermore Sanitarium was rather advanced for the time given the attitudes of the day toward mental illness. Thankfully Dr. Robertson sounds like a progressive thinker. If you want to read something at the other end of the spectrum, check out the work of H.H. Goddard. Painful reading...
Thanks for the interesting post.
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