Bryce Hospital - Alabama (Eamon)

Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa, AL was opened in 1861 after 8 years of construction had completed. It is Alabama's oldest and largest inpatient psychiatric facility. The plans were based on the "moral architecture" concepts of 1830s activists Thomas Kirkbride and Dorothea Dix and influenced hospital models in subsequent years.

The institution's original intent was to house and treat those suffering with mental illness. In fact, "Ms. Dix, along with former Alabama Governor Henry W. Collier, lobbied for the establishment of a state psychiatric hospital. An act was passed in 1852, and $100,000 was appropriated for the construction of The Alabama Insane Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on 326 acres," (Courier Journal, 2011). Ms. Dix also helped establish Dr. Peter Bryce as the first superintendent of the then named Alabama State Hospital for the Insane. "He demanded that patients be given courtesy, kindness and respect at all times. The use of shackles, straitjackets and other restraints was discouraged, and finally abandoned altogether in 1882. Various work programs and other activities were encouraged, including farming, sewing, maintenance and crafts. Between 1872 and the early 1880s, some of the patients wrote and edited their own newspaper, called The Meteor. These writings provide a rare inside look at life in a progressive mental institution in the late 19th century. At that time, Bryce's management and commitment to "scientific treatments" was recognized around the country as being in a class of its own," (Bryce Hospital Wikipedia, 2020).

All journal entries archived here: https://archives.alabama.gov/meteor/meteor.html

The hospital was renamed in 1892 after Dr. Bryce. "Dr. and Mrs. Bryce lived in an upstairs apartment in the central building. Mrs. Bryce became a cornerstone of Tuscaloosa society and a tenacious advocate for people with mental illnesses. - Dr. Bryce put in place methods of treatment that were in many respects ahead of his time. He was one of the first doctors to use medication in treatment. Early intervention, treatment without the use of restraints and the need for social support were hallmarks of his methodology," (Courier Journal, 2011).

Bryce Hospital grew rapidly over the next 100 years. It's second superintendent, Dr. Searcy, initiated reforms in treatment and medical records, and established a second hospital in Mt. Vernon, Alabama (Courier Journal, 2011). The third superintendent, Dr. W. D. Partlow, established the residential facility for persons with intellectual disabilities in 1923. The next superintendent, Dr. J. T. Tarwater, took over in 1950 at a time when the now bulky system of facilities was grossly underfunded. By 1965, "Act 881 formed the Alabama Department of Mental Health with a commissioner appointed by the governor. Until that time services were provided under the umbrella of the Alabama Department of Public Health and were managed by the hospital superintendents. Over the next five years the state made steady improvements with the emergence of several more community mental health programs. The progress, however, was woefully inadequate to meet growing demand," (Courier Journal, 2011).

Originally there were 160 patients at Bryce Hospital, but by 1970 the population of the system had grown beyond 5,000 patients with only three psychiatrists. At this time, Alabama ranked last among the United States in funding for mental health. The living conditions for the patients were described by the Montgomery Advertiser editor as similar to a concentration camp," (Bryce Hospital Wikipedia, 2020). That same year, funding was cut further and 100 staff were laid off. Faculty at the University of Alabama attempted to file suit on behalf of the staff, but a Federal Judge ruled that the courts had no way to intervene on behalf of the employees. The judge did rule, however, that a possibility existed to file a suit on behalf of patients based on their quality of care.

It was then, in October 1970, that Ricky Wyatt, a fifteen-year-old who had always been labeled a "juvenile delinquent" and housed at Bryce despite not being indicated with a mental illness, became the named plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit. His aunt was one of the employees who had been laid off. Together they testified about intolerable conditions and improper treatments designed only to make the patients more manageable... The resulting court-ordered agreements formed the basis for federal minimum standards for the care of people with mental illness or mental retardations who reside in institutional settings. The standards elaborated in that agreement have served as a model nationwide.

Known as the "Wyatt Standards," they are founded on four criteria for evaluation of care:

Humane psychological and physical environment

Qualified and sufficient staff for administration of treatment

Individualized treatment plans

Minimum restriction of patient freedom.

The case was finally dismissed on December 5, 2003, with the finding by a Judge that Alabama was in compliance with the agreement. The case of Wyatt v. Stickney came to a conclusion after 33 years, through the tenure of nine Alabama governors and fourteen state mental health commissioners, the longest mental health case in national history. The State of Alabama estimates its litigation expenses at over $15 million. (Bryce Hospital Wikipedia, 2020)

"An estimated 5,000 people were buried at four sites near Bryce Hospital. Because of vandalism, theft and some relocation work due to highway projects in the 1950s and 1960s, about 60 percent of the Bryce graves are no longer marked. Missing records make it almost impossible to trace the burial sites of individuals who were laid to rest from 1861 to 1922," (Alabama.com, 2010)

I would not have wanted to be treated at this hospital after 1949 when Dr. Tarwater took over. 

References:

https://www.al.com/spotnews/2010/04/bryce_hospitals_deceased_are_n.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryce_Hospital

https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3128&context=all_theses

https://www.courierjournal.net/news/article_45545edd-91e2-5af1-af67-0b1ca1d37143.html