Mental Health Records at The Library of Virginia

Jessie R. GrahamSenior State

Records Archivist

State Records Section

• Specializes in the acquisition and preservation of historically significant records produced by:– Governor’s Office and secretariats– State agencies and institutions

• Our responsibilities include:– Collecting– Processing– Preserving– Arranging– Describing – Providing access

• We abide by the laws set forth in the Code of Virginia which govern access to public records

Restricted Records

• The LVA uses the Virginia Public Records Act (VPRA) to guide its privacy and restriction policies as they apply to state records collections

• The VPRA excludes certain types of records from open public access, including those containing identifiable medical information

• The VPRA also states that all records, even those containing privacy-protected data, are deemed “open” to the public after a 75-year waiting period (Va. Code §42.1-78)

Restricted Records

• Early medical records were much different than what we have today

• Very few “medical” records exist in the LVA’s mental health collections, especially for later periods

• Most cases of restriction are due to incidental information

requiring redaction, not total closure

• All researchers at the LVA are required to sign an agreement that specifies that any protected information they may find cannot be disclosed to a third party

Mental Health Records at the LVA

• Central State Hospital records, 1874-1961• Eastern State Hospital records, 1770-2009• Southwestern State Hospital records, 1887-1948• Western State Hospital records, 1825-2000• Petersburg State Colony commitment records, 1934-1955• Lynchburg Training School and Hospital sterilization register, 1929-1959• Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute Director’s files, 1975-1983• State Hospital Board minutes, 1933-1961• MHMRSAS Commissioner’s correspondence and subject files, 1926-1990• MHMRSAS Board minutes, 1903-1996• MHMRSAS legislative case files, 1988-2004• Auditor of Public Accounts records related to CSH, 1864-1890• Auditor of Public Accounts general custodial records related to state

mental hospitals, 1801-1905• Lunacy papers and warrants (local court records), 19th and 20th centuries

Genealogical Use

• Most patrons use these records for genealogical purposes

• Hospital is listed as place of residence on a census form

• Investigating family rumors

• Interested in family medical history for personal reasons

What Can you Learn?

• Trace a patient through his or her stay

• Day-to-day operations of the hospital

• Medical treatments used

• Changes in mental health care over time

• Duties and decision making processes of the Boards

• Role of the courts in mental health

What we have…

Commitment papers

• Usually contain court documents, correspondence, orders to commit and depositions containing details of the patient's health and behavior

• Some are letters from family and community members or questionnaires filled out by doctors

• Central State, Western State, Eastern State, Petersburg State Colony

CSH records

Admission registers

• Contain patient name, occupation, admission date, age, education, residence, number of attacks, duration of the disease, supposed cause, family history and information about discharge or death

• Indexed by patient admission number

• Central State, Western State, and Eastern StateWSH records

Case Books

• Detailed accounts of treatment including medicines given, diseases treated and progress reports

• Usually indexed by name

• Closest to today’s medical records

• Southwestern State, Western State, and Eastern State

SWSH records

Correspondence

WSH records

• To and from friends and family of patients

• Requests to accept adjudicated individuals held in local jails

• Mostly incoming correspondence; some outgoing

• Southwestern State, Eastern State, and Western State

• Obligated a person to provide support for a patient or to supervise him or her during a furlough

• Central State, Western State, and Eastern State

Furloughs and Bonds

CSH records

Annual Reports

• Contain reports of the Superintendent, hospital statistics, and financial information

• Eastern State Hospital and Western State

ESH records

Financial Records

• Account books, sales and inventory ledgers, patient cash account books, general ledgers

• Eastern State, Western State, and Southwestern State

SWSH records

Policies and Procedures

• Rules and regulations for employees

• By-laws of the institution

• Western State and Eastern State

ESH records

Photographs

WSH records

• Construction, building interiors, events, staff, and patients

• Western State and Eastern State

Sterilization Records

• References to sterilizations appear sporadically– Register– Board minutes

• Files on the 1980s sterilization controversy exist in the WSH and ESH records

• Western State and Lynchburg Training School and Hospital

WSH records

Lobotomy Records

• Contain before, during and after photographs, and some written history on the patient

• The Lobotomist written by Jack El-Hai

• The Lobotomist documentary shown on PBS

• NPR interview with Howard Dully

• Lobotomy registers exist for Eastern and Western State

Howard Dully, age 12Walter Freeman and James Watts papers at George Washington University

• Newsletters• Meeting minutes• Buildings and grounds records• Staff report books• Subject files• Publications and theses• Scrapbooks• Architectural drawings

Other records of interest…

Julia Fisher’s Story Begins…

Commitment• Depositions of

acquaintances– From Wythe County,

VA– 18 years old,

unmarried– Insane for 1 ½ years– Caused by ill treatment

by relatives

• Warrant to sheriff– Justices agree that she

is insane– Calls for the sheriff to

take her to the asylum– Compels

superintendent to receive her

Admission

• Admitted June 13, 1862• Physical description

– Small– Fair skin– Black hair– Brown eyes

Case Book

• Entries begin upon arrival

• She is treated for absence of menstrual period (possible cause of derangement)

• Her habits become “filthy”

• Entries become sporadic over time, sometimes with months and years separating them

Julia’s Story Ends…

• Died July 23, 1906 of dysentery (age approximately 62)

• Spent her entire adult life at the asylum (approximately 44 years)

• Buried in WSH cemetery

Questions?

Library of Virginiawww.lva.virginia.gov

Virginia Memorywww.virginiamemory.com

Virginia Heritage Projecthttp://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/search