Mad Yankees: The Hartford Retreat for the Insane and Nineteenth-Century Psychiatry by Lawrence B. Goodheart

Abstract

This article reviews Lawrence B. Goodheart's book 'Mad Yankees: The Hartford Retreat for the Insane and Nineteenth-Century Psychiatry,' which examines the history of the Hartford Retreat for the Insane, established in 1824 in Connecticut. The review analyzes how the Retreat blended humanitarian ideals with Protestant moralism in its treatment of the insane, highlighting its financial struggles due to inadequate funding from the Connecticut Legislature and patient fees. The article argues that the 'moral treatment' offered by the Retreat represented a significant advancement in psychiatric care but also had limitations, such as inflated cure rates and cultural biases, particularly against women. The review critiques Goodheart's exploration of these themes, noting his failure to fully develop the cultural aspects of insanity and its role as a precursor to eugenics. It also discusses the transition of the Retreat from treating both wealthy and indigent patients to focusing on wealthy clients after the opening of the state-run Connecticut Hospital for the Insane in 1868. The review concludes that while Goodheart presents an interesting institutional history, he misses opportunities to connect this history to contemporary issues in mental health care.

The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)