Psychiatric hospital patients

Overview Otto Scheller was born in Bohemia/Czechoslovaka/Austria on 29 June 1881, and immigrated to the United States in 1911. On 14 December 1928, he was admitted to Philadelphia State Hospital (locally known as "Byberry") against his wishes. Doctors Irving and Burr diagnosed Scheller as having "true paranoia" after interviewing him and his sister-in-law, with whom he lived; and inspecting the packages of petitions and correspondence, presumably copies of what Scheller had sent to the various courts....

Scope and Contents The collection consists of four diaries, 1858-1901 (Bulk 1858-1865 & 1888), kept by Sophia E. Perry, a resident of Gorham, Me. Items found interleaved in the diaries were removed and placed in folders. The diaries document Ms. Perry’s personal life. Ms. Perry kept the first through third diaries while living in Gorham. These diaries describe the weather and local events of the day. Occasionally, larger events are recorded, the most noteworthy being the assassination of U.S. President...

Booksellers' description Patient index included.240 entries with patients' names, family histories, financial status, and mental state. The records contain detailed information about patients' occupations, whether taxes had ever been paid, original depature sites, ships sailed on, time in America, and extensive genealogies. A number died while in the hospital; many were dispersed to different locations. Occasionally, ship's passage was arranged for people to go home. Some records note the prognosis but in...