Gruesome Discovery Under Ole Miss Reveals Dark Mental Health Care History [View all]

[Bayard]

Construction on the grounds of the University of Mississippi — or Ole Miss — has turned up a rather gory stumbling block: the bodies of an estimated 7,000 people, scattered across 20 acres of campus.

While the media reported the story simply as a strange and fascinating discovery, the reality is much darker — and one that offers a valuable learning opportunity.

The human remains are those of inmates who were housed in the Mississippi State Insane Asylum. The institution was established in 1855 and closed in 1935 when the facility was relocated.

The sheer volume of bodies discovered highlights the harsh conditions that characterized psychiatric institutions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Put simply, a visit to the asylum could extend to a death sentence.

http://www.care2.com/causes/gruesome-discovery-under-ole-miss-reveals-dark-mental-health-care-history.html

And the accompanying story from the BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39849068


Fairly horrifying