Trenton
In the early part of the twentieth century, the recently qualified Henry Cotton was appointed medical superintendent to the huge mental hospital at Trenton, New Jersey. Trained at the best medical schools in the United States by the most eminent psychiatrists, and a visitor to the finest psychiatric facilities in Europe, Cotton appeared to be on the cutting edge of a new psychiatric revolution. Cotton was a firm believer in the idea that mental illness had a single cause: focal sepsis. Hidden pockets of infection (particularly in the teeth, tonsils and colon), produced a poison that spread through the body, into the brain, causing psychosis and other psychiatric symptoms. For a number of years, those admitted to Trenton automatically had their teeth removed, and many underwent drastic operations, like resection and partial removal of the colon. Many died as a result of these interventions. Cotton's reports of the success of his treatment were received with enthusiasm by many in the psychiatric community, and it wasn't until the 1920s that an investigation revealed the doctoring of figures and the statistical shortcomings of his research. Despite this investigation, Cotton was never disciplined professionally and his legacy was a prize, awarded to individual member's of Trenton's medical staff for kindness to patients.
Timeline of Events
Literature Review
Editorial
Historical Context
Relation to Body, Mind & Medicine
Development of Medicine
Further Resources
References
Timeline of Events
Literature Review
Editorial
Historical Context
Relation to Body, Mind & Medicine
Development of Medicine
Further Resources
References