The Glore Psychiatric Museum...St. Joseph, Missouri

DATE:  October 9, 2015

HISTORICAL SITE:  Glore Psychiatric Museum

LOCATION:  3408 Frederick Ave., St Joseph, Buchanan Co., Missouri  64506

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: 

This was actually one of our stops that I was most looking forward to. How creepy can you get? A psychiatric hospitals museum and it was voted one of the creepiest museums in the United States. Dirk and I got to the museum with less than 2 hours left before it closed. The guy working the desk told us where we should go first and in what order to see the most popular stuff. I was right, the place is creepy.

I had really been anxious to begin researching this subject. So much of mental illness is hidden from society...we're embarrassed if family members suffer from any disorder and we avert our eyes if anyone crosses our path, but that has pretty much been the history of mental illness through the ages.

But you can't really tell the story of the Glore Psychiatric Museum without touching on the history of madhouses, insane asylums and mental institutions. Terms used to describe a person with mental issues have changed over the years. I used the terms when I could remember to, but many times I found myself changing something. While researching I was surprised at how cruel some of them seem today but that were just commonly used words at some other time in history. And yes, some are meant cruelly or mocking, but how many could we list? Let's see how many we can do...insane, lunatic, crazy, retard, nutcase, wacko, mentally disabled, moron, imbecile, idiot, handicapped, developmentally disabled, disturbed, spastic, mad, dumb, loony, screw loose, mental, schizoid, demented, delusional, weird, numskull, nut job, lost, daft, differently abled, feeble minded, freak, hysterical, maniac, psycho, mental midget, deranged, "special", stupid, cuckoo, bananas and neurotic. I'm pretty darn sure there are others. Hey, I have an idea...if you can think of terms I missed; toss them to me in the form of a comment to this article.

One of the most important things to remember is that while many of the “treatments” by today’s standards would be considered torture, at the time of their introduction, were actually “cutting edge” taking into account what was known about the brain and how it works.

The very first reference of a known hospital for the insane was one built in Cairo in 872. In medieval Europe, the insane were mostly kept at home with the family but if they couldn't handle the person or there was no family, they were housed in monasteries, in cells at regular hospitals or in “madhouses”. In England, Bethlem Royal Hospital, built in 1247 earned the nickname of “Bedlam”. Although it eventually became a modern psychiatric facility, in the 15th century, it held just 5 insane men and went on to become, historically, known for the worst of the worst practices.

Moving along to the 17th century, the care of the mentally ill still pretty much was the responsibility of families and parish authorities. There were times when the insane were housed with other members of the community.

And then there were always charitable asylums, workhouses or correctional facilities. It should be noted that throughout history, the mentally ill have been housed with criminals and indeed many inmates have some sort of mental disorder. Some say our correctional institutions have taken the place of asylums. For example, 28% of inmates at Rikers need mental health services.

Gyro-Wheel

There were more English “madhouses” than anywhere else in the world. In 1632, it was noted that a mental hospital in England had 21 rooms where the “distracted” people stayed and by 1676, this was expanded to keep 100. The most dangerous patients were chained in their rooms. The term “madhouse” may have come about as householders who were boarding lunatics later formalized them into a business.

In the 18th century, the insane were placed in public almshouses and, for those who could afford it, private hospitals. By mid-century, charitable funded asylums had expanded throughout England.

The Cage

In America, the first charitable funded hospital opened in Pennsylvania in 1751 and provided rooms in the basement with shackles attached to the walls. Within a couple of years, there was a demand for more space and a ward was built next to the hospital. And in 1773, Virginia became the first state to establish an institution for the mentally ill paid for by state funds. I found the name interesting…“Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds”. That must have been a difficult sign to make and put up over its front doors.

England started licensing institutions in 1774 and there were 16 that petitioned to be licensed first. But in 1789, King George III experienced a remission in the mental disorder he had been suffering and “enlightenment” happened…people could be cured and here came “moral treatment”. Within 10 years, patients were unchained and physical punishment was banned, although staff could still use straitjackets. A group of Quakers built and ran a “retreat” where they advocated rest, talk and manual work with the goal of reintegration into society. 

Solitary

In the 19th century, Americans really bought into the European idea of “moral treatment” and its promise to cure mental illness. Moral treatment was the method used to “cure” a person using kindness and appealing to parts of their brains that still seemed rational. This is when “asylums” were open. These places were to be quiet, out of the way and were meant to have no more than 250 patients at any time with the patients having responsibility for the upkeep and care of the hospital, staff, themselves and other patients. A talk based approach was found to be successful with some although "success” can be interpreted in many ways.

At this point, more private patients were being treated than the poor. Finally, by about 1870, all states had, at least one asylum funded with state dollars. The first book on psychiatric diagnosis and treatments was written by Dr. Benjamin Rush in 1812. He felt mental diseases were caused by irritation of the blood vessels in the brain and advocated the use of bleeding, hot and cold baths, purging, mercury pills, the tranquilizing chair and gyroscope. His book was used as a reference for at least 50 years.

Straitjacket

And you thought the name of that hospital above was long, how about the hospital that opened in Philadelphia, in 1817, with the name "The Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of their Reason". That’s my favorite and certainly one condition we are all guilty of occasionally. This hospital is still functioning but under the name "Friends Hospital".

Men, women and children, if hospitalization was necessary, were kept in the same place. 1841 saw the first retreat for mentally disabled children opened; thereby removing some of the most vulnerable patient population. Occasionally women were institutionalized due to their opinions and/or “unruliness”. Fathers, husbands, brothers had the legal right to commit women in their family for behaving in ways the male society did not agree with. Legislation, late in the century, finally forbade the undiagnosed admission of anyone into an asylum.

Treatment was changing too. The 1850’s saw the introduction of writing, art, group therapy and drama as part of treatment.

Steamer

Then “senility” was classified as a mental illness. Now families could easy have their elderly members committed to these asylums for nothing more than getting old. The average number of patients in asylums in the US jumped 927% with similar numbers in England and Germany. The reason for the dramatic increase is still debated today but I can’t help but think that the great latitude in diagnosing mental illness had something to do with it. It seemed relatively easy, at this point, to get a doctor to say a person was mentally incompetent. And with the states picking up the costs in state run or charitable institutions, there were no monetary considerations in the decision.

Let me tell you...today’s haunted places have nothing on Glore Psychiatric Hospital. The original hospital and the Administration building was built in 1872 and lies behind a barbed fence. Now part of a "correctional" complex", the buildings holds about 600 criminal offenders in treatment for drug abuse.

Cold Baths

When built, the state called this place “The State Lunatic Asylum No. 2” and when it opened on November 9, 1874, the first 25 patients were admitted. The intent/goal/mission, whatever you want to call it, seemed overly simplified. The first superintendent, Dr. George Catlet called it “the noble work of reviving hope in the human heart and dispelling the portentous clouds that penetrate the intellects of minds diseased”. (As an aside, Dr. Catlett is one of 4 doctors who did the autopsy on Jesse James).

It didn’t take long for the first deaths to occur…just barely over 1 month after they admitted the first patients, two died. It being December, the ground was frozen so only one hole was dug for both bodies. That was the start of a very sad cemetery. Of the estimated 2,000 deaths, only a handful of tombstones remain. Many of the patients in the early years were dropped off by families moving west and no one ever returned, so many of the gravestones simply have a number because the name wasn’t known. When I say dropped off, that was very literal.

Wheelchair

But as with other state asylums, the State Lunatic Asylum quickly filled their 275 beds. During the time the facility was open, they added another 125 beds, filled those and then 350 more. Many of the patients, over the years, came from families who could just no longer care for someone with special needs. In the beginning, like other asylums of the day, the institution was self-sufficient but the more overcrowded it became, the more the facility had to depend on the outside for food and other materials.

About the only thing that slowed admittances was a devastating fire, in 1878 that burned the place to the ground. When they reopened in 1880, not only were the mental patients moved back in, but now those suffering from tuberculosis, syphilis, alcohol addiction and physical disabilities were admitted.

By 1890, financial considerations were forcing more patients into state run facilities and the number of patients was far exceeding the 250 that the “moral treatment” suggested. Another thing was getting ready to affect mental health care and that was the realization that the “moral treatment” idea just wasn’t curing most patients. The realization that a “one size fits all” approach cant and never will be able to be applied to mental illness.

Restraint Chair

In 1899, the name was changed to St. Joseph State Hospital and in 1903, to “State Hospital No. 2” and the last patient was buried in the asylum cemetery in October 1949.

So by the 20th century, we had to be progressive as far as mental health is concerned, right? Many new “exciting” treatments were found. Some have been found to be dangerous or of no value while some are still in use; albeit on a limited basis. But in the end, we were still far from how we view mental illness treatment today.

It's Shocking

By 1904, the U.S. had about 150,000 patients living in mental hospitals. While in most cases, doctors and nurses tried to help the patients, the numbers were overwhelming and care slipped. As care slipped, it allowed, as it always had, less than desirable people to come in and, sometimes clandestinely, but many times right out in the open, abuse the residents. That’s not to say this abuse just started happening in the 20th century. It’s always been easy to abuse those who are “hidden”, who have no voice, who, in many cases, have no family to advocate on their behalf. Even in the “modern” world of the early 20^th century, the mentally ill were “deposited” into institutions and left. Most knew, at that time, “recovery” wasn’t thought very possible.

Between the years 1910 to 1930, many radical therapies came out of Europe including barbiturate induced deep sleep and insulin shock therapy. These were developed to “cure” dementia praecox or what’s now referred to as schizophrenia.

Two things happened to further the decline in the operation of asylums. First the stock market crash and subsequent depression and then WWII. Both led to severe cuts in state funding and a huge shortage of personnel. But there were still “advances” happening. 1935 saw the first lobotomy performed in Portugal and in 1938, electroconvulsive therapy was introduced. 

Ice Pick Lobotomy

In 1946, a U.S. doctor developed a “refined” method of lobotomy using something that looks like an ice pick. The procedure took only about 15 minutes and was an “office” procedure. In 1949, 5,074 patients had lobotomies and by 1951, 18,608 patients.

By the early 1950’s, the hospital had over 3,000 patients with diagnosis ranging from mild depression to criminally insane. This is the period of the emerging “community” treatment in outpatient clinics so the facility underwent a very slow change. Advances in medicines meant some patients were able to be released back to their families and the removal of the criminal element allowed them to get down to a manageable level. In 1994, a new 108 bed hospital for intermediate and long term patients was built across the street and the current location was changed to a correctional facility in 1997. The “asylum” underwent one more name change in 1999…The Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center.

It was common place up until 1950 to force sterilize mental patients, but steam was gaining on a complete overhaul of the way we diagnose and treat mental health issues and the places people go to get help. First, nursing homes for the elderly were opened, so “senility” moved away from being a mental health issue back to where it belongs. We get old!

Autopsy Room

Around the time the new building was going up in 1968, a celebration of “mental health” week was announced. George Glore, who had worked at the asylum for many years, wanted to do something to try to reduce the stigma of mental illness. George worked with the hospital carpenters and patients to construct full size replicas of 16^th, 17^th and 18^th century “treatment” devices. Showcasing the advancements in the treatment of mental health, the exhibit was wildly popular and the Administrators encouraged George to build upon the exhibit.

Morgue

The “mental hygiene movement” saw the change from institutionalizing to treatment through outpatient clinics. Although there were still experiments to try to physically “fix” people, it was mostly the introduction of medicines that made the most advancements in recovery or maintenance and so moving patients from asylums and back to their families and communities.

The museum now not only exhibits Glore’s replicas but also spotlights some of the more “modern” treatments prescribed. I can’t say that many of the modern treatments are really that much different than torture but again…can’t judge yesterday by our standards and morals of today. That being said, the exhibits are pretty cool in a macabre sort of way and yes, you get the creeps in the morgue and autopsy room.

Tranquilizers

Is this place haunted? Some say yes, although if that was true, wouldn’t it be more so in the original building? This was just the clinic and morgue, but whatever. The supposed manifestations that have been seen/heard/experienced are of a male walking around on the 3rd floor; the motion detector going nuts when no one is in the basement and some people who are “sensitive” say that entities seem trapped down there. There’s the woman’s voice asking for help and the sounds of whimpering and crying. But, and this is one that would freak me out…a man runs down the basement hallway, towards the elevator, screaming “why are you here? Get out!”. If that ever happened…I’d do it.

In the end, it’s a sad place…a testament to what humans can do to other humans. You know it’s going to be a sad place when you are told that if a family actually brought someone in, they were told to bring in the clothes they wanted the patient buried in because chances were high they would never leave the hospital. Many patients never had visitors and died alone and unclaimed.