Commitment Papers, 1826-1900.

Scope and content:

Contains court documents, correspondence, and other material created and/or used during the commitment process, such as the order to commit and depositions containing details of the patient's behavior. Items of note within the commitment papers are questionnaires called "interrogations" or "inquiries" that consist questions about the patient, his or her health, background, current illness, and previous treatment. The questionnaires begin to appear beginning in 1830, and by 1837 are almost always included. In some cases a form was used, in others the reporting physician copied the questions and answered them on his own paper. Researchers should also be aware that beginning in 1880, papers for those who were not accepted into the hospital are also included. These papers are usually labeled "rejected." In some cases a reason is given, such as lack of space, that the patient was suffering from epilepsy, or that he or she was a drug addict. Additionally, unidentifiable papers have been labeled as "unknown," and placed at the back of the last folder for the particular year in which they were found.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically, and then alphabetically within.

Access and use

Contents