List of reasons for admission to an insane asylum from the late 1800s

Dangerous Minds ^ | 10/22/2013

[Responsibility2nd]

After viewing this list of what could have gotten you admitted to West Virginia’s Hospital for the Insane (Weston) aka Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum back in the late-1800s, I’ve swiftly concluded that the criteria was rather all-encompassing. Who among us is a stranger to what’s on this list?

In this century, it looks more like a “wish list” for Dr. Phil’s guest bookers!

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is still open, but only for tours.

[jimbug]

I grew up in central West Virginia, born in 1947. While my sister and I were well-behaved most of the time, there were times when we apparently pushed our Mom to the limit.

During those times, Mom would exclaim, "I swear you two kids are going to send me to Weston". This was a popular(at least in our happy little family)expression growing up in the 1950s.

Today, perhaps due to the ease of getting someone involuntarily committed in the past, the law in West Virginia goes out of its way to protect the rights(pronounced 'raghts' where I grew up)of folks who otherwise would have been locked up a long time ago.

[Fiddlstix]

I was born and raised on a ranch down here in Texas. I've been around more than a few horses.
The best way I know to avoid kicking is to keep very close when walking behind them and keep you hand on his butt so he'll know it's you when you're out of his field of vision.
Even then with being cautious you might get kicked but by being very close to his butt you probably won't get it in the head.

[jimbug]

Never had a problem with it myself. Still waiting for the hair to start sprouting on my palms.

[Jan_Sobieski]

You haven’t gone blind, have you?

[ETL]

Well, thanks for not mentioning the ridiculous typo I made above. :)

The horse had caught me off guard. As I mentioned, he was a high strung 2-year-old racehorse. You could usually count on him to go berserk at such things as a truck coming down the road, flock of birds taking off, etc. But this time he was just standing there calmly as a single leaf fell softly from a tree. He suddenly spun around and lick, i mean KICKED, me in the butt!

[Jan_Sobieski]

Very interesting. Thanks for the info!

[Tau Food]

There are many good reasons to be admitted to a lunatic asylum. You have provided merely a partial list.

[SamAdams76]

The “Masturbation for 30 Years” caught my attention. I guess if you stop at 29 years and 6 months, you are okay. So long as you don’t engage in “Deranged Masturbation”, which is a separate reason in itself. I’m thinking if you keep a poster of Elizabeth Warren on your bedroom ceiling and wear an Indian headdress to bed, you might be suspect.

[reed13k]

Of course in that day and age Asylums was a term also used for sabbatical locations and not just the insane asylums.

[pa_dweller]

A little bit of searching for the meaning of 'Gathering in the Head' yielded this: Secrets From the Workhouse. The very dark underside of Victorian England.

[savage woman]

If you go past 30 years - your in the clear.

[Neidermeyer]

It’s there listed as “Feebleness of Intellect”.

[Carthego delenda est]

Henceforth when people talk about you in hushed tones, they’ll be saying “that poor ETL, he ain’t ever been right since that horse licked him in the butt.”

[Fiddlstix]

Hey, I've made a few typos myself over the years. lol

Yep. Any horse can be spooked. High Strung horses are the worst. Bearing in mind that the horses main defense is kicking and they're very good at it.
But I don't have tell you.
Anyone who has been around them has probably been kicked. It is an event that will be remembered. I speak from experience too.

[ETL]

The “Masturbation for 30 Years” caught my attention. I guess if you stop at 29 years and 6 months, you are okay.

Who did the "monitoring" for those 30 years?

[ETL]

Hey, I've made a few typos myself over the years. lol

Not like that one I'd bet!

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

What the heck is “Masturbation for 30 Years?”

Did they at least stop for lunch?

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

I’m gonna start a Rock Group and call it “Charlie Carbonic and the Acid Gas!”

[dfwgator]

I’m gonna start a Rock Group and call it “Charlie Carbonic and the Acid Gas!”

Heh heh, my band is gonna be the "Bloody Megyns".

[Fiddlstix]

Oh, I dunno....
I was trying to type the word "duck" once and hit an "f" instead of a "d".
I didn't catch it till after I posted. LOL