About Diagnostics at the Mental Asylum of Riga Citadel in 1787–1790
About Diagnostics at the Mental Asylum of Riga Citadel in 1787–1790

Summary/Abstract: The first mental asylum, or madhouse, in the Baltic provinces was opened in 1787 in Riga by the Livonian Board for Social Care (Livlandische Collegium für allgemeine Fürsorge), which started its activities on 20 February 1784 in Riga. In addition to the mental asylum, the board acted as patron of some other charity facilities which were situated in the same building at the Riga Citadel (since 1786). The madhouse (Tollhaus or Dollhaus, долгауз) constituted about a fifth of the board’s institutions. The insane were separated by gender, occupying rooms on the upper floors of the building. Only a corridor separated women’s rooms from the female prisoners’ rooms in the correction house (Zuchthaus, смирительный дом). The guard (Zuchtmeisterin) for female prisoners was in charge of inmates of both genders and was assisted by a female prisoner. Other floors accommodated the jail (Gefängnis), workhouse (Arbeitshaus, рабочий дом), and the general and venereal diseases hospitals. At that time, the close coexistence of the asylum and the punitive institution was expressed in mixed terms such as “Doll-haus beim Zucht und Arbeithaus” (Schott & Tolle, 2006). The police doctor (Kreisarzt, городовой врач) of Riga took medical care of inmates and was assisted by two disciples. One of them dwelled permanently in the board’s building in the citadel (Kuzņecovs, 2007).

• Details
• Contents