Unhappy Anniversary

Without joy, pride or sense of achievement, officials of Topeka (Kans.) State Hospital last week marked the70th anniversary of the admission of their oldest patient. The patient did not even know that she was making medical history of a negative kind, for she has spent the whole of a normal life span in a world apart, out, of all touch with reality. Nothing was done for her in the years, back before 1900, when treatment might have helped; now it is too late.

Miss X, a shrunken little woman (five feet, 105 Ibs.) of 83, was an overconscientious child in a typical Kansas small town when Chester Alan Arthur was President of the U.S. Yellowed, longhand records dating from her admission in 1882 report: "Shows loss of memory . . . Derangement now manifested began on religious subjects . . . She literally believed the Sunday-school lessons. Cause of insanity: 'Sincerity and love of truth, and finding that nearly everything was a lie.' "

An attached note recorded:"Has seemed peculiar all her life, always solitary, very quiet. Never in play with other children. Did not learn very quick. Worried over studies, has not learned as much as others. Very particular and slow . . . Worries over food, thinks she is covered with bugs, insisted there was a river to cross. Thinks mother is against her."

Nowadays Miss X's illness would be called schizophrenia and an effort would be made to treat it. Her "acute mania" went untreated and got worse. From her record for Sept. 6, 1892: "Very disorderly and untidy. Nervous and tears her clothing. She has to be fed." For Dec. 29, 1893 (when she was 24): "Unchanged. Received a rubber doll for Christmas and seemed quite pleased with it."

Patient X remained seriously disturbed until about 1927. Since then she has fed herself and given no trouble, but has hardly spoken. Never rational enough to do any chores, she has spent most of her time rocking in a chair.

"This is a striking example of how expensive it can be in terms of both human life and money not to provide treatment for mental patients," said Hospital Superintendent John M. Anderson. "If there had been good psychiatric treatment ... for this patient when she was first admitted, the chances are she could have spent her life as a normal person.

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