''The Opal'' (1851–1860) is a ten volume journal written, edited and printed by the patients of the
Utica State Lunatic Asylum, circa 1851. On its more than 3,000 pages, writers talked of their experiences and world views, giving great insight to the environment of New York's premiere state-operated
Asylum
Asylum may refer to:
Types of asylum
* Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome
* Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute
* Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea
...
, in
Utica, New York
Utica () is a city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 U.S. Census. Located on the Mohawk River at the ...
. Themes that continuously arose in the poetry, prose, political commentary, and articles about insanity include issues concerning medication, restraint, seclusion, human rights, liberty, overcoming oppression, and support.
History
The idea for publishing a patients' journal likely originated during the superintendency of
Dr Amariah Brigham, a firm believer in the curative value of mental occupation. Prior to the birth of ''The Opal'', Brigham had included several pieces of patient writing in his ''
American Journal of Insanity'', which was also produced in the printing office of the institution. Though Brigham died in 1849, the decision of his successor (Dr Nathan Benedict) to launch a patient publication was clearly influenced by Brigham's ideas.
[Eannace, M. (2001). ''Lunatic Literature: New York State's The Opal (1851–1860)''. Ph.D. Thesis. State University of New York at Albany]
See also
*
Psychiatric survivors movement The psychiatric survivors movement (more broadly consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement) is a diverse association of individuals who either currently access mental health services (known as consumers or service users), or who are survivors of interv ...
References
External links
Picture of Opal front cover from 1851*Reiss, Benjamin. (2008). ''Theaters of madness insane asylums and nineteenth-century American culture''. University of Chicago Press. OCLC 748889607.
*''The Opal'' (1851–1860). Edited by the Patients. New York State Lunatic Asylum. Utica, N.Y.: State Lunatic Asylum.
HathiTrust''
19th-century publications
1851 establishments in New York (state)
Magazines established in 1851
Magazines disestablished in 1860
Magazines published in New York (state)
Defunct magazines published in the United States
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