Research

Scope and Content Note

This series was created by the medical inspector for the State Hospital Commission (later the Dept. of Mental Hygiene) to document observations made on inspection visits to State Hospitals, State Schools, hospital psychiatric wards, and private mental health care institutions.

Narrative notes include date and time of arrival; professional staff on duty; list of staff vacancies; patient census statistics; notes on new admissions; discharges; deaths; and special interviews with patients about complaints regarding care and treatment, accidents, and injuries. They also provide remarks on food and recent improvements and repairs to buildings and grounds. Notes on patients include lists of patients to be examined by the inspector, ward, name of patient, admission date, age, duration before admission, diagnosis, and memorandum notes.

Besides state hospitals and psychiatric wards of public hospitals, the following private institutions are included: Bloomingdale Hospital, White Plains; Breezehurst Terrace, White Stone; Brigham Hall Hospital, Canandaigua; "Dr. Brooks' House"; Rye; "Dr. Combs' Sanitarium"; Corona; Craig House, Beacon Hill; Crichton House, Harmon on Hudson; and Four Winds, Katonah. Some of the private institutions seem to have housed as few as one patient.