Welcome to my new site!
Read No-Injury Policy
C.M. HUMPHRIES
  • Home
  • Less Taken Pod
    • Less Taken Blog
    • Store
  • Library
    • No-Injury Policy >
      • All Things Beautiful Excerpt
      • Facade
  • Delusions (Blog)
  • Connect
  • Home
  • Less Taken Pod
    • Less Taken Blog
    • Store
  • Library
    • No-Injury Policy >
      • All Things Beautiful Excerpt
      • Facade
  • Delusions (Blog)
  • Connect

Forbidden Blog

Fear, focus, and the future. Here, C.M. Humphries writes about whatever. ​

6/8/2015

2 Comments

6 Insane Cures for Insanity.

 
As I continue to work on my upcoming novel in stories Ashland's Asylum, I struggle to decide what I want in the Asylum itself. There's a South Wing to the Asylum, in which some antiquated medical equipment hides.  The Asylum big-wigs need to remove the equipment before Inspection Day [See Strife], but maybe not quite all of it. 

I've constructed the a list of the Top 6 Insane Ways of Treating Insanity--in my whatever opinion--and perhaps some of you might enjoy helping me decide which pieces of equipment to include in the story ?  Hey, hey? 

#6 Bloodletting.

Picture
Various tools have been used for bloodletting, ranging from barbs to leeches. This practice was outdated long ago, but someone as sinister as Nurse Ashland from "Ashland's Asylum" would surely know of it.
Ever notice one of those red and white spinning polls at a barber shop (more commonly red, white & blue in the U.S. now)? It gained fame from barber-surgeons, who often recommended bloodletting as a treatment, if not cure, for any medical ailment ranging from acne to cancer to insanity. The red stripes represented the blood and the white resembled a tourniquet. 

Bloodletting is kind of what it sounds like. The idea is that blood can humor certain responses, so naturally, removing some of a person's blood should help treat and him or her. Seems totally logical, right? Oh, you have cancer. Let's remove around 4 quarts of blood!

#5 Insulin Shock Therapy. 

Picture
Many doctors claimed insulin shock therapy had no positive effects towards the treatment of schizophrenia, but the main reason the practice was abandoned was because it required too much time with individual patients.
While I am not diabetic myself (*knocks* on wood), I've seen post-insulin-injection face, and it's not often pretty. In fact, whatever an orgasmic facial expression is, it's the opposite. (When you finish checking this part out, you might find this enjoyable too.)

From around 1933-1970, insulin shock therapy was used mostly for schizophrenia. Ridiculous amounts of insulin were injected into patients for around 6 days/week for 2-3 months (holy shit, Batman!) which led to comas consequentially, and somehow treated schizophrenia. 

Insulin is something my more ominous characters could easily get their hands on. The idea of a daily coma is extremely freaky, and I think it might just make it into the story "Ashland's Asylum," if not multiple tales in my upcoming novel in stories. 

#4 Mercury. 

Picture
Mercury was also applied topically for lacerations, etc. Just think about that for a minute. Forget "salting the wound."
Mercury is toxic--like Super. Fucking. Toxic.

Since 1500 B.C. human beings messed  with mercury, perhaps to unlock its magical properties, or perhaps because it was a shiny, silver substance that  was fun as hell to play with.

Mercury was used to treat a wide variety of both psychological and physical ailments. It was used a lot for syphilis. Sadly, it sort of helped stop the spread of some STDs . . . you know, because people died from poisoning or suffered from Mad Hatter Disease.  

Until the practices were outlawed, it was thought there was nothing a little injection of mercury could not cure.


#3 Hydrotherapy.

Picture
Some times patients were hooked up to a wall, crucifix-style, and sprayed by jets. The jets weren't like the ones in a hot tub or Jacuzzi, though. They were more like fire hoses.
Hydrotherapy wasn't quite as the relaxing as it is today. Many of you probably recognize this form of punishment--scratch that, treatment--but I'm on the fence whether to include it in "Ashland's Asylum."

The logic was simple: water temperature caused bodily and psychological reactions. For example, warm water was for insomnia, whereas cold water (some times patients were mummified with cold towels) was for bipolar disorder (manic-depressive psychoses back then). Treatment generally relied on continuous, multi-day use. 

Unfortunately, some docs were "overzealous" and left patients strapped to bathtubs for weeks up to months for just about any reason. 

#2 Soothing Syrup. 

Picture
It's easy to see how soothing syrups, which are chock-full or narcotics, could be used for nefarious purposes. It's also relatively easy to see how this concoction would make your child feel better and have more energy.
For anyone who has received a good cursing and/or whipping for poor behavior as a child, this next one might make you rage with envy if you haven't heard of it before. 

Soothing syrups were purchased for as a low as 25 cents from around 1849-1930. Whether your child had a toothache or was simply being a pain in the ass, you simply provided him or her with a small dose (or perhaps a little more today) of a soothing syrup. One of the most popular choices was Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup. 

What made soothing syrups so special and popular? Mrs Winslow's, for instance, contained either morphine sulfate (a whopping 65mg/oz!), sodium carbonate, cannabis sativa, powdered opium, codeine, heroin,  spirits foeniculi (an alcohol specific to this syrup), aqua ammonia, or a combination of these narcotics. If this was punishment for childhood mischief, I would have been a real villain. 

#1 Moral Treatment.

Picture
In many asylum stories, literal chains stop inmates from escaping. moral treatment requires patients to see doctors as Mother Goose; thus making it even harder to escape.
In the 1800s,it was supposed by some that mental illness was caused by moral conflicts. Asylums would smother patients with humane care and impose simple tasks with simple rewards and/or punishments. (I like to imagine these practices to be similar to those in Fight Club. )

However, the result of moral treatment was almost as horrifying as the ailment. The healing process rested on the shoulders of doctors too much, and most patients became 100% dependent on them. You can see how moral treatment might be interesting to add to a story with a  few wicked doctors and nurses.

What Do You Think?

I went ahead and listed 6 of the potential treatments to make it in the short story "Ashland's Asylum" from my upcoming novel in stories of the same name. Now I want to know what you think.

Be a real pal and let me know which 3 treatments you think would make the short story extra spicy.

If I failed to consider a real doozy in the blog, let me know in the comments (no haters). 

2 Comments
Jenn
6/8/2015 04:39:14 pm

Been following since the Good Horror Story entry, and happily so! This one was fun, especially the part about bloodletting

Reply
Carter
6/9/2015 02:55:27 am

Definitely keep the insulin thing. Very practical & creepy

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About

    Fear, focus, and the future. C.M. Humphries talks about writing, horror, and whatever. 

    Archives

    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009

    Subscribe.
    ​We'll keep in touch.

SUBSCRIBE
Picture
© 2009-2022 C.M. Humphries. Any unauthorized use and/or duplication of the content without expressed and written permission from the site and content author/owner is prohibited by law. ​ Not intended for audiences under the age of 13 years old.
Photos used under Creative Commons from moedermens, hans s, gidovd, Federico Limonta, Marcin Wichary, heather aitken, Caren Mack Photography, Guilherme Yagui, Latente 囧 www.latente.it, miss_rogue, quinn.anya, Javier Kohen, sampitech, Gerald Gabernig, the_black_room, Bernt Sønvisen, jamalfanaian, andrewrennie, Elizabeth/Table4Five, quirin.thalhammer, swruler9284, Kryziz Bonny, Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho, chuck4x5, Mountain/\Ash, Jonathan Kos-Read, Niels_Olson, h.koppdelaney, Matthew Paul Argall, DidWee, Sweet One, osseous, Tony Webster, maf04, Gustavo Minas, poptech, r.nial.bradshaw, marcoverch, emilianohorcada, porschelinn, markbyzewski, dannywebs, amanessinger, declanandrews, Artotem, M. Martin Vicente, davescaglione, Gamma Man, ell brown, glasseyes view, LukeDetwiler, ephotography, Luiz Fernando / Sonia Maria, Filter Collective, cdedbdme, mhx, Enokson, gagilas, Max Wolfe, Ted Van Pelt, Sigfrid Lundberg, Sean Loyless, Mr. T in DC, Key Foster, marimbajlamesa, Fitsum Belay/iLLIMETER, Vectorportal, Alberto_Montoya, carianoff, luc.viatour, >>> Silly Rabbit, Trix are for Kids <<<, electricnerve, Nanagyei, crimfants, Editor B, gordontarpley, eleanor ryan, eviltomthai, shanon wise, dutchlad, Rick Moerloos, Poetprince, david_shankbone, Kurt and Sybilla, Abode of Chaos, grilled cheese, quinn.anya, Xoan Baltar, Marko Milošević, little blue hen, uzi978, SweetOnVeg, procsilas, Robin Hutton, Thruhike98, zaneology, Cameron Nordholm, CarbonNYC, Enderst07, dollen, LunaMoth116, swanksalot, aturkus, ElvertBarnes, Paul Jerry, Pip R. Lagenta, Joshua Kaufman, currybet, Oh-Barcelona.com, Joe Shlabotnik, Will Folsom, Helena Liu, David.R.Carroll, Robert Bejil Photography, Patrick Doheny, Hachi Gatsu, Justin Marty, Julie Lyn, Scott LePage, Daquella manera, Markusram, ginnerobot, Zach Linder, StevenW., denn, h.koppdelaney, TheeErin, aaron.michels, davidflanders, Dustin and Jenae, Mike "Dakinewavamon" Kline, mr_t_77, gordontarpley, brewbooks, coconut wireless, Håkan Dahlström, Mr. T in DC, urbanshoregirl, cathyse97, The Cleveland Kid, iamliam, andy jou, 666isMONEY ☮ ♥ & ☠, julesxt, MonkeySimon, Carlos Aguilera Espinosa, twentymindsomething, Xanetia, ♣♦♥♠, vonguard, sillygwailo, Geraint Warlow, Alyssa L. Miller, chadmagiera, how will i ever, Parker Knight, Unhindered by Talent, wwarby, teresawer, Lo & Behold >> Shrie L. Spangler, Larry Tomlinson, magnetbox, Very Quiet, prendio2, j_anet, timhettler, David Boyle, hang_in_there, krossbow, robertrice, Schmirn, Fitsum Belay/iLLIMETER, an iconoclast, samlavi, Ron Bennetts, Jagz Mario, eugeneflores, LetTheCardsFall, Rochelle, just rochelle, JaseCurtis, Ivan Marianelli, Dave Catchpole, mike 23, ANSESGOB, Catalin Vrinceanu, kio, kevin dooley, Amanda M Hatfield, Smath., rick, Grace Hebert, auntjojo, Kryziz Bonny, jwillier2, Al Pavangkanan, anokarina, my camera and me, IntangibleArts, Pink Sherbet Photography, hodgers, arohasilhouettes, Neal., greenfaerietree, sidewalk flying, Miles B., Luxxian Flair, amelungc, romana klee, dcJohn, Mitchypop, simonsmith001, Bruna Schenkel, zayzayem, KJGarbutt, simonlesleyphoto, torbakhopper, Glutnix, Panegyrics of Granovetter, Karamellzucker, h.koppdelaney, Photos by Mavis, perpetualplum, FutUndBeidl, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, b0jangles, suburbandollar, UnnarYmir, ohdarling, amulonphotography, Zach Dischner, _Fidelio_, OakleyOriginals, andertoons, little blue hen, rococohobo, FutUndBeidl, Pop Culture Geek, ben.chaney, theilr, genvessel, mariachily, Seth Mazow, Looking Glass, jslee_, lindsayloveshermac, Brett Jordan, AndYaDontStop, danperry.com, functoruser, gcfairch, Mikamatto, Thomas Claveirole, goodnight_photography, cometstarmoon, Ack Ook, Don Hankins, celesteh, Pip R. Lagenta, Cpt<HUN>, stvcr, Andreas.