Friday, June 29, 2018

The Crazy "Insanity Law"...!

Believe it or not, there was a time when women could be locked up as crazy just on the say so of their husbands or male family members. According to this article on Listverse, it was not that difficult.

Insanity Laws



Throughout much of the nineteenth century, a husband, father, or other male authority figure could—and did—have a woman declared insane as easily as getting two doctors to sign the certificate, and they didn’t even have to see the patient. A man’s testimony was enough to get a female relative locked up in secret indefinitely. Some women suffered from “puerperal insanity,” or post partem depression and other mental illnesses, but others were imprisoned in an asylum for no greater cause than disagreement with established norms (such as declaring women should get the vote), a medical condition like epilepsy, the ever popular hysteria, or infidelity. Treatments were crude at best, cruel at worst. Doctors considered female patients in danger of developing “erotomania” or hypersexuality, and took steps accordingly.

Now I am surprised that the PTB haven't tried to come up with a modern version of this series of laws, considering just how badly the present administration's treatment of the females appears to be. I may be wrong, but equality in both wages and job opportunities still seems to have a long way to go! Just my opinion, of course.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Let's see if we can beat the heat.

9 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

Considering the author's BS comment about the current administration, I'm surprised you printed this, unless you agree with it.

Mamahen said...

Spounds like a convenient way to dispose of a wife who had a mind of her own to me...We are getting some of your heat our way for the next few days, altho not quite as hot as you all...A early morning patio sit sounds like a winner:))

Rob said...

How has the present administration treated females badly? Have I missed something?

linda m said...

That was a way to get rid of the wife. Sure glad they don't do that today. However, with mental illness on the rise I do wish it was easier to get people the help they need. Have a great weekend.

JO said...

Women had no rights back then and were treated like servants in their own homes and everywhere else. Rob and George open you eyes and ears it's a disgrace whats being said and done.

Rob said...

We're talking about today right?
I'm listening, "what" is being said & done? Please, show me! Tell me...

Ashley Nicole King said...

Some of the things I've seen and heard over the years... Try being a female in the tech industry or the military. Things are a whole lot better than they were, but we still have a long way to go for equality. HermitJim knows what I'm talking about. I've never known him to be sexist, and when he sees a story like this, he sees it as a past atrocity, not an example of "the good ol' days", like some people I could mention.

Gorges Smythe said...

You're right, JO, but it's not the administration doing it. Get real.

vwrobb@gmail.com said...

I get so tired of the constant negative politics EVERYWHERE these days.
The republic survived the Clintons and it survived the Bushes. I did expect it would survive Trump but I did not count on those (90% of the MSM too) who would try & tear down the political system at ever turn because a 3rd party guy won the WhiteHouse.

I'm discussed & afraid by all this anti republic talk.

If you have a valid point about what one side or the other is doing lay the example on us. If you're goal is to spread hate, lies & discontent ... well you're in the right time and place.

I'm done....