"In charge of the loons": A portrait of the London, Ontario Asylum for the Insane in the nineteenth century

Abstract

The London, Ontario Asylum for the Insane will be discussed for the years 1870 to 1902 (from its opening under the guidance of Henry Landor to the death of its second medical superintendent, Richard Maurice Bucke) from the perspective of the patients. Using information gathered from patients' casebooks, a clear portrait of the kind of person admitted to the London Asylum; the type of behaviour which led to commitment; duration of stay; and experiences in the Asylum will be presented.