History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

Neuropsych iatry 3 17to details. The fees for care in his hospital are of interest in these days oflarge figures: $4.00 paid for the care of a patient lor one week, or S 10.00if better quarters and a separate attendant were required.Unfortunately,in 1851, one of his patients started a fire which consumed all live of thebuildings. This loss, coupled with the opening of a free institution for theinsane at Jacksonville, were the apparent causes of his abandoning theChicago project. Soon thereafter he left Illinois permanently.Further information concerning the establishment of the first state hospitalfor the insane in Illinois is somewhat at variance with the detailsgiven above and is furnished by Dr. Carl E. Black of Jacksonville, Illinois: :!"It would be a mistake to lose sight of J.O. King, one of our most energeticand wide-visioned men. If any person is to be singled out and given creditabove others for the success of this enterprise it should probably be Mr.King. He furnished the practical wisdom which assembled the variouselements of education and influences necessary to achieve success. Hebrought Miss Dix 4 into the campaign; took her personally over a largepart of the state to secure facts and landed her in Springfield to influenceand handle the legislature. She thus had the opportunity of presenting theobject of her mission. Very soon she presented a memorial to the Legislatureasking for the establishment of a hospital for the insane. The Senate Committee,instead of reporting the bill which had passed the House, reporteda new bill, prepared by the late Judge Constable, under the directionof Miss Dix, entitled 'An Act to Establish the Illinois StateHospital forthe Insane,' accompanied by a report prepared by Dr. Mead. About thistime, Senator Henry was elected to Congress to fill a vacancy and left theSenate. The bill provided for levying a special tax of I/5 of a mill on thedollar for three years for the purposes of the institution. It passed theSenate 23 to 8, locating the hospital at Peoria. When it came up for considerationin the House on motion, Peoria was stricken out and Jacksonvillewas inserted. The rules were dispensed with and the bill passed. ThesPersonal communication.4Medical history would be far from complete did it fail to note the great influence thatlaymen have exerted in many branches of medicine. Occasions arise when medical men,to avoid misunderstanding or for fear their efforts might seem to have a selfish basis,hesitate to proceed in matters of good public health or good public relations. It isfortunate that in many such instances, enlightened laymen carry the light of explorationand knowledge into areas hitherto untouched and undisturbed. Several such personshave been mentioned in Dr. Black's account of the founding of the first hospital lorthe insane in Illinois, in which there appears repeatedly the name of Miss Dix. DorotheaLynde Dix was born in Maine on April j, 1802. In 18.11 she became interested in theconditions of gaols and almshouses, investigating especially the treatment of the pauperinsane. She visited many states in the Middle West, pleading for better care of theunfortunate insane. In 1H 13, though ill and indisposed at the time, she memorializedour State Legislature with an earnest and passionate entreaty for better facilities forthe care of the insane in Illinois.