


















































© Getty Images
0 / 51 Fotos
Medicine to prevent contraption - The pill wasn't invented until the mid-20th century, so women everywhere turned to sketchy devices including vaginal suppositories to block the cervix and acidic solutions, which some doctors believed could cause mental illness.
© Getty Images
1 / 51 Fotos
Intemperance and business trouble - This possibly referred to work-related stress, or overworking, which could very well have exacerbated existing mental conditions.
© Getty Images
2 / 51 Fotos
Jealousy - Though someone suffering from a mental illness might also have been jealous, the emotion itself certainly didn't cause it.
© Getty Images
3 / 51 Fotos
Ill treatment by husband - Domestic violence could certainly trigger mental illness-related symptoms.
© Getty Images
4 / 51 Fotos
Hysteria - This old-fashioned term was used to describe a mental disorder in which someone—usually women—expressed exaggerated emotions.
© Getty Images
5 / 51 Fotos
Laziness - Today we know that fatigue is a possible side effect of mental illness, including depression, but back then doctors assumed it could be the cause.
© Getty Images
6 / 51 Fotos
Marriage of son - This could be characterized today as the "empty nest syndrome," which describes the feeling of grief parents might feel when their children leave home for the first time.
© Getty Images
7 / 51 Fotos
Imaginary female trouble - It was very easy to pass off everything that affected women as mental illness.
© Getty Images
8 / 51 Fotos
Opium habit - Doctors believed excessive use of the drug lead to mental disorders.
© Getty Images
9 / 51 Fotos
Overstudy of religion - Go easy on the Bible study group.
© Getty Images
10 / 51 Fotos
Overtaxing mental powers - How overtaxed can one's mental powers be?
© Getty Images
11 / 51 Fotos
Novel reading - Maybe 19th-century doctors believed reading too much could cause isolation and excessive imagination?
© Getty Images
12 / 51 Fotos
Parents were cousins - This is rather logical, actually. As scientists were starting to delve into the consequences of consanguineous mating, they viewed it as a possible reason behind some mental disorders.
© Getty Images
13 / 51 Fotos
Asthma - Thankfully, we now know that asthma has absolutely nothing to do with mental illness.
© Getty Images
14 / 51 Fotos
Political excitement - Getting too involved in political matters was seen as a dangerous activity that could lead to mental illness.
© Getty Images
15 / 51 Fotos
Tobacco and masturbation - How these two relate is beyond the scope of knowledge.
© Getty Images
16 / 51 Fotos
Bad company - To be fair, toxic people can have a rather negative impact on those suffering from mental illness.
© Getty Images
17 / 51 Fotos
Kicked in the head by a horse - Those 19th-century doctors were onto something with this one. There is some evidence suggesting that head injury increases the risk of developing mental disorders.
© Getty Images
18 / 51 Fotos
Imprisonment - Similarly, contemporary researchers believe confinement can aggravate or even trigger symptoms associated with mental illness.
© Getty Images
19 / 51 Fotos
Periodical fits - This was also often associated with women's behavior.
© Getty Images
20 / 51 Fotos
Menstrual deranged - Female anatomy and bodily functions were highly misunderstood in the Victorian Era.
© Getty Images
21 / 51 Fotos
Desertion of husband - It sounds extremely harsh to commit a woman to a mental institution for being left by her husband, but this could cause distress and even depression.
© Getty Images
22 / 51 Fotos
Bad whiskey - Is it whiskey that has gone bad or too much whiskey that caused the illness?
© Getty Images
23 / 51 Fotos
Bloody flux - Best known as dysentery, the inflammatory disease of the intestines was believed to be a factor leading to some mental illnesses.
© Getty Images
24 / 51 Fotos
Loss of lawsuit - It's not hard to imagine people falling into emotional distress after losing in court, though it's unlikely it caused any mental illness.
© Getty Images
25 / 51 Fotos
Excessive sexual abuse - Sexual abuse can and does have a host of short and long-term effects on a victim's mental health.
© Getty Images
26 / 51 Fotos
Domestic trouble - The same logic applies to victims of domestic violence.
© Getty Images
27 / 51 Fotos
Egotism - What 19th-century doctors described as egotism is likely what we associate today with personality disorders.
© Getty Images
28 / 51 Fotos
Epileptic fits - We now know that epilepsy is not a mental illness. However, the challenges associated with the often-crippling neurological disorder can have negative effects on a patient's mental health.
© Getty Images
29 / 51 Fotos
Domestic affliction - Issues at home were often associated with instability and mental disorders, especially relating to women.
© Getty Images
30 / 51 Fotos
Quackery - It is unclear whether those committing the fraudulent practices were the ones being admitted or the victims of such scams.
© Getty Images
31 / 51 Fotos
Fighting fire - Though firefighting has nothing to do with mental illness, a traumatic experience involving a fire could lead to mental disorders.
© Getty Images
32 / 51 Fotos
Suppressed masturbation - Both overdoing it and suppressing it could cause mental disorders, according to 19th-century logic.
© Getty Images
33 / 51 Fotos
Venereal excesses - It's not hard to see that 19th-century society had an issue with promiscuity.
© Getty Images
34 / 51 Fotos
Hard study - Doctors possibly viewed excessive studying as a form of obsession, which could be a symptom of underlying mental health issues.
© Getty Images
35 / 51 Fotos
Vicious vices - Much like promiscuity, vicious habits seen as immoral were often associated with mental disorders.
© Getty Images
36 / 51 Fotos
Feebleness of intellect - Unfortunately, it was rather common to commit those with developmental disabilities.
© Getty Images
37 / 51 Fotos
Seduction and disappointment - Seductresses were looked down upon, so it is unsurprising that women were institutionalized for it.
© Getty Images
38 / 51 Fotos
Self-abuse - Whether this term was used to refer to those who self-harm or as a euphemism for masturbation is unclear.
© Getty Images
39 / 51 Fotos
Suppression of menses
- Menstrual suppression was a symptom of systemic illnesses such as tuberculosis and cancer. However professionals of the time thought it was the cause behind those deadly diseases.
© Getty Images
40 / 51 Fotos
Snuff eating for two years - They were precise in their diagnosis of how long was too long when it came to the use of the smokeless tobacco product.
© Getty Images
41 / 51 Fotos
Salvation Army - This is anyone's guess. Maybe the patients were suffering from work-related stress, as the charitable organization required volunteers to relocate to other countries.
© Getty Images
42 / 51 Fotos
Superstition - Doctors determined that being superstitious could lead to mental illness. Many see this as ironic today, considering 19th-century medicine often relied on superstitions for diagnoses.
© Getty Images
43 / 51 Fotos
Spinal irritation - This may sound like back issues today but spinal irritation was a catchall term used to describe "nervous weakness," particularly associated with women.
© Getty Images
44 / 51 Fotos
Greediness - Considering greed is listed as one of the deadly sins, it is unsurprising it was grounds for admission in the 19th century.
© Getty Images
45 / 51 Fotos
Rumor of husband murder - Hearing about your significant other potentially being killed is reason enough to trigger symptoms associated with mental disorders.
© Getty Images
46 / 51 Fotos
Dissipation of nerves - This is most likely yet another catchall term to describe unappetizing behavior associated with women.
© Getty Images
47 / 51 Fotos
Female disease
- This could be a euphemism for all sorts of things, proving how easy it was to commit women to mental institutions.
© Getty Images
48 / 51 Fotos
Time of life
- If you know what they mean by this, do share. Maybe old age?
© Getty Images
49 / 51 Fotos
False confinement
- To be fair, being illegally confined is good reason to trigger an array of mental illnesses.
© Getty Images
50 / 51 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 51 Fotos
Medicine to prevent contraption - The pill wasn't invented until the mid-20th century, so women everywhere turned to sketchy devices including vaginal suppositories to block the cervix and acidic solutions, which some doctors believed could cause mental illness.
© Getty Images
1 / 51 Fotos
Intemperance and business trouble - This possibly referred to work-related stress, or overworking, which could very well have exacerbated existing mental conditions.
© Getty Images
2 / 51 Fotos
Jealousy - Though someone suffering from a mental illness might also have been jealous, the emotion itself certainly didn't cause it.
© Getty Images
3 / 51 Fotos
Ill treatment by husband - Domestic violence could certainly trigger mental illness-related symptoms.
© Getty Images
4 / 51 Fotos
Hysteria - This old-fashioned term was used to describe a mental disorder in which someone—usually women—expressed exaggerated emotions.
© Getty Images
5 / 51 Fotos
Laziness - Today we know that fatigue is a possible side effect of mental illness, including depression, but back then doctors assumed it could be the cause.
© Getty Images
6 / 51 Fotos
Marriage of son - This could be characterized today as the "empty nest syndrome," which describes the feeling of grief parents might feel when their children leave home for the first time.
© Getty Images
7 / 51 Fotos
Imaginary female trouble - It was very easy to pass off everything that affected women as mental illness.
© Getty Images
8 / 51 Fotos
Opium habit - Doctors believed excessive use of the drug lead to mental disorders.
© Getty Images
9 / 51 Fotos
Overstudy of religion - Go easy on the Bible study group.
© Getty Images
10 / 51 Fotos
Overtaxing mental powers - How overtaxed can one's mental powers be?
© Getty Images
11 / 51 Fotos
Novel reading - Maybe 19th-century doctors believed reading too much could cause isolation and excessive imagination?
© Getty Images
12 / 51 Fotos
Parents were cousins - This is rather logical, actually. As scientists were starting to delve into the consequences of consanguineous mating, they viewed it as a possible reason behind some mental disorders.
© Getty Images
13 / 51 Fotos
Asthma - Thankfully, we now know that asthma has absolutely nothing to do with mental illness.
© Getty Images
14 / 51 Fotos
Political excitement - Getting too involved in political matters was seen as a dangerous activity that could lead to mental illness.
© Getty Images
15 / 51 Fotos
Tobacco and masturbation - How these two relate is beyond the scope of knowledge.
© Getty Images
16 / 51 Fotos
Bad company - To be fair, toxic people can have a rather negative impact on those suffering from mental illness.
© Getty Images
17 / 51 Fotos
Kicked in the head by a horse - Those 19th-century doctors were onto something with this one. There is some evidence suggesting that head injury increases the risk of developing mental disorders.
© Getty Images
18 / 51 Fotos
Imprisonment - Similarly, contemporary researchers believe confinement can aggravate or even trigger symptoms associated with mental illness.
© Getty Images
19 / 51 Fotos
Periodical fits - This was also often associated with women's behavior.
© Getty Images
20 / 51 Fotos
Menstrual deranged - Female anatomy and bodily functions were highly misunderstood in the Victorian Era.
© Getty Images
21 / 51 Fotos
Desertion of husband - It sounds extremely harsh to commit a woman to a mental institution for being left by her husband, but this could cause distress and even depression.
© Getty Images
22 / 51 Fotos
Bad whiskey - Is it whiskey that has gone bad or too much whiskey that caused the illness?
© Getty Images
23 / 51 Fotos
Bloody flux - Best known as dysentery, the inflammatory disease of the intestines was believed to be a factor leading to some mental illnesses.
© Getty Images
24 / 51 Fotos
Loss of lawsuit - It's not hard to imagine people falling into emotional distress after losing in court, though it's unlikely it caused any mental illness.
© Getty Images
25 / 51 Fotos
Excessive sexual abuse - Sexual abuse can and does have a host of short and long-term effects on a victim's mental health.
© Getty Images
26 / 51 Fotos
Domestic trouble - The same logic applies to victims of domestic violence.
© Getty Images
27 / 51 Fotos
Egotism - What 19th-century doctors described as egotism is likely what we associate today with personality disorders.
© Getty Images
28 / 51 Fotos
Epileptic fits - We now know that epilepsy is not a mental illness. However, the challenges associated with the often-crippling neurological disorder can have negative effects on a patient's mental health.
© Getty Images
29 / 51 Fotos
Domestic affliction - Issues at home were often associated with instability and mental disorders, especially relating to women.
© Getty Images
30 / 51 Fotos
Quackery - It is unclear whether those committing the fraudulent practices were the ones being admitted or the victims of such scams.
© Getty Images
31 / 51 Fotos
Fighting fire - Though firefighting has nothing to do with mental illness, a traumatic experience involving a fire could lead to mental disorders.
© Getty Images
32 / 51 Fotos
Suppressed masturbation - Both overdoing it and suppressing it could cause mental disorders, according to 19th-century logic.
© Getty Images
33 / 51 Fotos
Venereal excesses - It's not hard to see that 19th-century society had an issue with promiscuity.
© Getty Images
34 / 51 Fotos
Hard study - Doctors possibly viewed excessive studying as a form of obsession, which could be a symptom of underlying mental health issues.
© Getty Images
35 / 51 Fotos
Vicious vices - Much like promiscuity, vicious habits seen as immoral were often associated with mental disorders.
© Getty Images
36 / 51 Fotos
Feebleness of intellect - Unfortunately, it was rather common to commit those with developmental disabilities.
© Getty Images
37 / 51 Fotos
Seduction and disappointment - Seductresses were looked down upon, so it is unsurprising that women were institutionalized for it.
© Getty Images
38 / 51 Fotos
Self-abuse - Whether this term was used to refer to those who self-harm or as a euphemism for masturbation is unclear.
© Getty Images
39 / 51 Fotos
Suppression of menses
- Menstrual suppression was a symptom of systemic illnesses such as tuberculosis and cancer. However professionals of the time thought it was the cause behind those deadly diseases.
© Getty Images
40 / 51 Fotos
Snuff eating for two years - They were precise in their diagnosis of how long was too long when it came to the use of the smokeless tobacco product.
© Getty Images
41 / 51 Fotos
Salvation Army - This is anyone's guess. Maybe the patients were suffering from work-related stress, as the charitable organization required volunteers to relocate to other countries.
© Getty Images
42 / 51 Fotos
Superstition - Doctors determined that being superstitious could lead to mental illness. Many see this as ironic today, considering 19th-century medicine often relied on superstitions for diagnoses.
© Getty Images
43 / 51 Fotos
Spinal irritation - This may sound like back issues today but spinal irritation was a catchall term used to describe "nervous weakness," particularly associated with women.
© Getty Images
44 / 51 Fotos
Greediness - Considering greed is listed as one of the deadly sins, it is unsurprising it was grounds for admission in the 19th century.
© Getty Images
45 / 51 Fotos
Rumor of husband murder - Hearing about your significant other potentially being killed is reason enough to trigger symptoms associated with mental disorders.
© Getty Images
46 / 51 Fotos
Dissipation of nerves - This is most likely yet another catchall term to describe unappetizing behavior associated with women.
© Getty Images
47 / 51 Fotos
Female disease
- This could be a euphemism for all sorts of things, proving how easy it was to commit women to mental institutions.
© Getty Images
48 / 51 Fotos
Time of life
- If you know what they mean by this, do share. Maybe old age?
© Getty Images
49 / 51 Fotos
False confinement
- To be fair, being illegally confined is good reason to trigger an array of mental illnesses.
© Getty Images
50 / 51 Fotos
Bizarre reasons patients were admitted into a 19th-century insane asylum
Could you have been committed to a 19th-century insane asylum?
© Getty Images
Medicine and scientific knowledge are constantly evolving to bring us the best mental health care practices available. But in the process, many were sacrificed because of ignorance and lack of proper know-how. Information compiled from the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane's log book, which documented admissions to the institution between 1864 and 1889, gives an insight into some of the reasons that researchers believed were behind patients' mental disorders.
It's important to note that these are reasons that they believed caused the mental illnesses people were admitted for, and not the actual reason they were institutionalized.
Browse the gallery and see how bizarre they are.
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