Report from Manteno (Mental illness)

Diorama of a doctor's office by Francis Rigney, ca. 1935-1945.

Producer Bob Park and reporter Donald Herbert visit a mental health institution in Manteno, Illinois. They interview patients, therapists, administrators, and public health officials to describe the inner workings of the one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in the United States, Manteno State Hospital. This is part one of two (the other is 150112).
Produced by the Chicago Industrial Health Association.


The episode begins with Don Herbert interviewing a young woman, who is revealed to be a patient at a psychiatric hospital in Manteno, IL.
Bob Park describes the state of Manteno State Hospital, which 50 years earlier would have had straight jackets and padded cells, but now allow patients to walk around freely.

Herbert interviews a male patient undergoing therapy in water tub about how he found himself in the institution and how his treatment has been going. The therapist describes the treatment the patient is undergoing - a safer version of a long, relaxing, warm bath. This is the first step of many that will lead the patient back to sanity.

Commercial Break from Johnson and Johnson.

Park discusses what happens when a patient first enters Manteno. He then describes electroshock therapy and the happiness and relaxation (and disorientation and amnesia) that follows, and then insulin treatment which has similar results. Park then describes carbon dioxide treatment, which was new at the time. Herbert interviews a patient undergoing carbon dioxide treatment and her therapist. She then undergoes the treatment, which has immediate effects.

Park discusses the need for additional therapy on top of carbon dioxide or insulin treatment. They then interview the director of the institution, who talks about the terms under which a patient might be allowed to leave. It depends on both the state of the patient and the environment to which is to be released.

Park talks about patients who are worse off, unable to interact socially. Herbert interviews a therapist who is attending to the "acutely disturbed," the most violent. Herbert interviews one of these acutely disturbed patients, who claims to be both Austrian minister of War and a university president, among other things.

Another commercial break.

Park discusses some of the methods of treatment we've heard about: electro-shock, insulin, and carbon dioxide treatments, which have a direct effect on the nervous system, as well as "wet pack" and water tub treatments, which aim to relax the patients.

Herbert interviews a therapist about the role of play and "rhythm bands" in Manteno's therapeutic efforts, which is the subject of the next episode (150112). They preview that episode. Park reviews statistics about mental hospitals - costs, over-population, and more.



Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection


WNYC archives id: 150114
Municipal archives id: LT1971