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The Life of Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride

      Two weeks ago, I published the first blog in the series on “The History of Mental Hospitals in The United States.” I will now do a short recap. The first mental hospitals, otherwise known as, psychiatric hospitals, were established in the early 1700’s. The ideology of “moral treatment” came from the Europeans and was adopted by the Americans in the early 19th Century. According to Wikipedia, “moral treatment” is “The humane treatment of the mentally ill people. It was built on the assumption that those who had mental illness could find their recovery and an eventual cure if they were treated kindly and in ways that appealed to the parts of their minds that remained rational. The people who ran the hospitals renounced the use of harsh restraints and long periods of isolation that had been used to manage the most destructive behaviors of the mentally ill individuals.”   

      Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride was a champion of “moral treatment”. In addition, Dr. Kirkbride was a physician, psychiatrist, and the developer of the Kirkbride Plan. He was born into a Quaker family on July 31, 1809. In 1828 he received his medical degree from University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kirkbride had his own practice from 1835 to 1840. He became superintendent of the newly established Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane in 1840. Dr. Kirkbride was a founding member of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane (AMSAII)- forerunner of the American Psychiatric Association. He served first as secretary, then later as president from 1862-1870.

     In 1854, Dr. Kirkbride published his book, On The Construction, and General Arrangements Of Hospitals For The Insane. The book or manual was used as a blueprint on how to correctly construct and arrange hospitals for the mentally ill during the 1800’s. “The Kirkbride Plan” was a model for how moral treatment asylums should be built and organized. The Plan was a prototype for many future private and public insane asylums. The number of patients living in the institutions should not exceed 250. The building should have a central core and long, rambling wings arranged to provide sunshine and fresh air as well as privacy and comfort.

     In general, asylums were located in secluded country settings. Rewards were given to the patient to encourage rational thinking and “normal” behaviors. Restraints were seldom used, but when they were used, it was for a short period of time to discourage irrational behaviors.

     “Similar to the asylums so closely associated with his name, Kirkbride aroused strong feelings in others, ranging from profound hostility to deep admiration. Respected and venerated for his accomplishments by his peers, Kirkbride was also reviled by a younger generation of doctors who viewed his extensive influence and stubborn devotion to his beliefs as obstacles to progress in psychiatric medicine. With his patients, Kirkbride aroused enough animosity in one to inspire attempted murder (which Kirkbride narrowly escaped). More often he acquired the admiration, respect, and affection of those he treated. In an extreme example, Dr. Kirkbride actually married a former patient after his first wife passed away. His marriage revealed the depth of Kirkbride’s belief that the mentally ill are human beings with much to offer, though suffering from an illness that can be treated and possibly cured.” On December 16th 1883 Dr. Kirkbride died of pneumonia at the age of 74.

Signed: Renee D. Warring

REFERENCES:

https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/nurses-institutions-caring/history-of-psychiatric-hospitals/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Story_Kirkbride

The Life of Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride

      Two weeks ago, I published the first blog in the series on “The History of Mental Hospitals in The United States.” I will now do a short recap. The first mental hospitals, otherwise known as, psychiatric hospitals, were established in the early 1700’s. The ideology of “moral treatment” came from the Europeans and was adopted by the Americans in the early 19^th Century. According to Wikipedia, “moral treatment” is “The humane treatment of the mentally ill people. It was built on the assumption that those who had mental illness could find their recovery and an eventual cure if they were treated kindly and in ways that appealed to the parts of their minds that remained rational. The people who ran the hospitals renounced the use of harsh restraints and long periods of isolation that had been used to manage the most destructive behaviors of the mentally ill individuals.”   

      Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride was a champion of “moral treatment”. In addition, Dr. Kirkbride was a physician, psychiatrist, and the developer of the Kirkbride Plan. He was born into a Quaker family on July 31, 1809. In 1828 he received his medical degree from University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kirkbride had his own practice from 1835 to 1840. He became superintendent of the newly established Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane in 1840. Dr. Kirkbride was a founding member of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane (AMSAII)- forerunner of the American Psychiatric Association. He served first as secretary, then later as president from 1862-1870.

     In 1854, Dr. Kirkbride published his book, On The Construction, and General Arrangements Of Hospitals For The Insane. The book or manual was used as a blueprint on how to correctly construct and arrange hospitals for the mentally ill during the 1800’s. “The Kirkbride Plan” was a model for how moral treatment asylums should be built and organized. The Plan was a prototype for many future private and public insane asylums. The number of patients living in the institutions should not exceed 250. The building should have a central core and long, rambling wings arranged to provide sunshine and fresh air as well as privacy and comfort.

     In general, asylums were located in secluded country settings. Rewards were given to the patient to encourage rational thinking and “normal” behaviors. Restraints were seldom used, but when they were used, it was for a short period of time to discourage irrational behaviors.

     “Similar to the asylums so closely associated with his name, Kirkbride aroused strong feelings in others, ranging from profound hostility to deep admiration. Respected and venerated for his accomplishments by his peers, Kirkbride was also reviled by a younger generation of doctors who viewed his extensive influence and stubborn devotion to his beliefs as obstacles to progress in psychiatric medicine. With his patients, Kirkbride aroused enough animosity in one to inspire attempted murder (which Kirkbride narrowly escaped). More often he acquired the admiration, respect, and affection of those he treated. In an extreme example, Dr. Kirkbride actually married a former patient after his first wife passed away. His marriage revealed the depth of Kirkbride’s belief that the mentally ill are human beings with much to offer, though suffering from an illness that can be treated and possibly cured.” On December 16^th 1883 Dr. Kirkbride died of pneumonia at the age of 74.

Signed: Renee D. Warring

REFERENCES:

https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/nurses-institutions-caring/history-of-psychiatric-hospitals/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Story_Kirkbride