Formed just a few years before these photos, the Athens State Hospital Training School for Nurses provided an opportunity for women to receive training and work in the medical field. Here, Roseboom and fellow graduates including Netta Mapes practice hydrotherapy techniques to improve the lives of the patients. Although this building is currently a museum and was known as a place where people were sent for mental health treatment, it also served as a place of many employment and educational services.
Smooth Walls
Dr. Thomas Kirkbride suggested having hard smooth wall plastering made of hydraulic cement and sand throughout the complex to make it easy to clean. These walls were most likely painted white or "some more agreeable shade of color." Paper was avoided due to its ease of tearing.
What else in the room appears to be designed for safety and ease of upkeep?
Water to Heal
This room was a hydrotherapy room where patients were given "fomentations" (hot and cold compresses applied alternatively), wet sheet packs where they were wrapped in damp sheets, "salt glows" (salt and oil scrubs), sprays, and continuous baths as part of their therapy. The treatments were seen as a humane way to calm patients and "restore mental equilibrium."
What other items in this exhibit show a form of humane treatment of patients in the asylum?
Nursing Caps
Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, it was customary for women to cover their head in public. Some styles of nursing caps kept the nurse's hair out of their face and clean. Each hospital has their own style, but it was common for more senior staff to wear longer and more frilly caps than newer nurses. The black line you see is a velvet stripe showing that she is a registered nurse, differentiating her from those still in training.
Which nurses do you think were there the longest? Which ones do you think were still in training?
Sunlight and Ventilation to Heal
The Athens State Hospital was built to fit the Kirkbride Plan that focused on moral treatment of patients. Dr. Thomas Kirkbride's construction guidelines laid out a framework that ensured all patients were exposed to natural light, ventilation, and pleasant scenes.
What else in the room do you think provides a pleasant atmosphere for these patients?
