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BBC, perhaps the most well-known English-speaking news outlet in the world, debuted a segment about Central State Hospital earlier this month. The 5-plus minute video clip was included as part of its "BBC Travel" series, in between trips to Egypt and New Zealand and the Himalayas.
The mini documentary was largely another hit piece, full of prose and lacking context.
"A lack of funding and a primitive approach to mental health led to brutal treatments and, at times, deteriorating conditions," stated William Adams, the documentarian. "These 200 buildings once made up one of the largest and most notorious psychiatric hospitals in the world."
While all of that is fair enough, what Adams never explained is how the different treatments generally were standard for the times, and Central State wasn't exactly some "rogue mental hospital." For example, the segment goes into some detail about lobotomy picks "that went through the eye and entered the brain," as if this was some exclusive treatment around Central State. For perspective, however, Rosemary Kennedy, the sister of John F. Kennedy, also was exposed to rounds of lobotomy pick treatments in the 1940s, which was a relatively common practice for "mental patients."
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Perhaps, Central State is often targeted due to its scale and size. In 1950, for example, there were roughly 10,000 patients, and in the 1960s that population swelled to 12,000. Central State once held the title of "largest insane asylum in the world."
Despite all of this, the mini doc was extremely well-produced and includes some excellent drone footage. It can be watched below.
