13. Patients Had Mandated Special Diets
People with epilepsy, who were typically committed to asylums rather than treated in hospitals, were subjected to extremely bland diets as any heavy, spicy, or awkward-to-digest foods were thought to “upset” their constitutions and worsen their symptoms. One asylum director fervently held the belief that eggs were a vital part of a mentally ill person’s diet and reported that his asylum went through over 17 dozen eggs daily for only 125 patients. A woman who went undercover at an asylum said they were given only tea, bread with rancid butter, and five prunes for each meal. Apparently, that asylum thought starvation was an ultimate cure.
Some asylums took used different, and arguably better, tactics to feed their inmates by encouraging the patients to grow their own food. Extensive gardens were established at some asylums, with the inmates spending their days outside tending to the fruits and vegetables. While gardening does have beneficial effects on mood and overall health, one wonders how much of a role cost savings in fresh produce played in the decision to have inmate-run gardens. Regardless of the cause, these inmates likely had much pleasanter days than those confined to rooms with bread and rancid butter.