Lee County (Va.) Health and Medical Records, 1905-1940

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Lee County (Va.) Health and Medical Records, 1905-1940, Local government records collection, Lee County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Summary

Creator:
Lee County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Lee County (Va.) Health and Medical Records, 1905-1940, Local government records collection, Lee County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Lee County (Va.) Health and Medical Records, 1905-1940, consists of Prescriptions and Affidavits for Ardent Spirits for Personal Use, 1916-1917, and Mental Health records, 1905-1927, 1940. Mental health records may include warrants, orders, petitions, depositions, reports, etc. for or by justices of the peace and others regarding the mental condition of individuals who were released to the recognizance of a family member or who were recommended to be committed to a mental hospital. Fiduciary records such as estate inventories of a person judged insane may also be present.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type: On March 10, 1916, Virginia enacted statewide prohibition with an act of the General Assembly--commonly known as the "Mapp Act." This act made it "unlawful to manufacture, transport, sell, keep or store for sale, offer, advertise, or expose for sale, give away, or dispense, or solicit in any way, or receive orders for or aid in procuring ardent spirits." Citizens could acquire a prescription from a physician for "medicinal alcohol" for scientific, mechanical, and pharmaceutical purposes. The common carriers of ardent spirits were required to keep records of any alcohol that was transported, but an amendment to the Mapp Act in 1920 required that the clerk of the circuit court of each county assume this duty; removing the burden from the transportation companies.

Mental health records may consist of a variety of documents that historically were referred to as “lunacy papers” in the courthouses of Virginia localities and municipalities. In 1863, the Virginia General Assembly passed two pieces of legislation affecting persons committed to mental hospitals. In February, it passed legislation allowing for a committee to sell any stock and for any proceeds beyond that necessary for an individual's care to be invested in any stock, to include Confederate bonds. In March, the General Assembly widened the scope of this by passing legislation authorizing any fiduciaries such as the committee or trustee of the estate of any person to petition their circuit court to allow them to invest any part of estate funds in Confederate bonds or certificates.

Locality History: Lee County was named Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, governor of Virginia from 1791 to 1794. It was formed from Russell County in 1792. Part of Scott County was added in 1823. The county seat is Jonesville.

Acquisition information:
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a shipment of court papers from Lee County.
Processing information:

Encoded by V. Brooks: August 2026.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series I: Health and Medical Records, 1905-1940,

Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
.9 cubic feet (2 boxes and 1 folder)