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Thomas Story Kirkbride
Topic Started: Oct 17 2016, 09:11 PM (602 Views)
MorganaPendragon
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(July 31, 1809 - December 16, 1883) was a physician, advocate for the mentally ill, and founder of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane (AMSAII), a precursor to the American Psychiatric Association.

He is most famous for what is know as the Kirkbride Plan of treatment, Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride's theory on what he referred to as the "moral treatment" of the insane, a constructive idea unique to the United States, for mental asylums from the mid to late 19th century.

Essential to the realization of his vision was moving patients from overcrowded city jails and almshouses, where patients were often chained to walls in cold dark cells, to a rural environment with grounds that were "tastefully ornamented" and buildings arranged "en echelon" resembling a shallow V if viewed from above. This design called for long, rambling wings, that provided therapeutic sunlight and air to comfortable living quarters so that the building itself promoted a curative effect, or as Kirkbride put it, "a special apparatus for lunacy." These facilities were designed to be entirely self-sufficient providing the patients with a variety of outlets for stimulating mental and physical activities.

The Kirkbride plan influenced the construction of over 300 similar facilities throughout North America, some of which were designed by such luminaries as H. H. Richardson, Richard Snowden Andrews, and Fredrick Law Olmstead. However, the 20th century brought changes in treatment philosophy, deinstitutionalization, and more community based treatment. The theory of "building as cure" was largely discredited. The expense of maintaining these facilities, combined with physical deterioration, has forced them to be mostly abandoned and many demolished.

Kirkbrides Life and work marked a major turning point for psychiatry. Before him, psychiatric treatments were often harsh and demeaning to patients. After him, psychiatry became much softer and more compassionate.
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Jesse
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Sometimes I read/hear about how people with mental/psychologic problems got treaten not too much ago and it always shocks me. It is thanks to People like him that mental/psychologic ill/handcapped people get treaten now way better.
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MorganaPendragon
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Kirkbride said something I find very interesting: "There is no reason why an individual who has the misfortune to become insane should, on that account be deprived of any comfort or even luxury."
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Jesse
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Well said!

No one chooses to become insane and though some people do bad things because they are insane it does not mean that all mental or psychological ill or handicapped people are bad. But thanks to movies and television and the abuse of words like insane, everyone who is this, is considered either bad or stupid. I hate that.
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MorganaPendragon
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This is probably the most well-known Kirkbride hospital.

Posted Image


It is the Weston State Hospital in Weston, West Virginia. It is also known as the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.
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Jesse
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Looks like a castle and it is huge.
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MorganaPendragon
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The Inside of Weston State Hospital:
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/14249...234797899_o.jpg
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/14196...404842842_o.jpg

This is after preservation work, but it is authentic to the way it looked when it was operational.

This is the TB building at the site. https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/11879...491032849_o.jpg

It's called the TB building because it was the tuberculosis hospital.
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Jesse
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Wow does this really look like this on the inside? It looks like it would be from...dunno 1920 or so.
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MorganaPendragon
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Kirkbride buildings are Victorian architecture. They were built in the 1800's. Weston State Hospital opened in 1864. All the stones on the outside were cut by hand.
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Jesse
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I was rather reffering to the furniture but thank you though for the explainations, that's pretty interesting.
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MorganaPendragon
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I don't know about the furniture.
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Jesse
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Well even if it still looks like this inside I think it's cool. Less technology could work calming to people.
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MorganaPendragon
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I love victorian architecture. It would be so awesome to have a gothic victorian mansion.
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Jesse
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I don't really have any clue about architecture but the hospital looks great.
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MorganaPendragon
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Speaking of huge, Greystone Park was the biggest Kirkbride hospital. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/origin...4d3e780cc54.jpg
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