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This week's episode examines the first couple decades of the State Asylum for the Insane in Morristown, New Jersey. Find out what an average day was like at the asylum, what treatments and entertainments were offered, and how long it took for the massive building to become overcrowded.

Primary sources include the Images of America book on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital by Rusty Tagliareni and Christina Mathews, as well as a number of annual reports from the New Jersey State Library. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week's episode looks at the final decades of Volterra Lunatic Asylum through the lens of three different physicians who each left a lasting impact on the hospital: Dr. Claus Schilling, Dr. Franco Basaglia, and Dr. Gino Basci. Find out which doctor was later tried for war crimes and which one would go on to create the most radical psychiatric law in the world. Finally, hear the story of one patient who quite literally left a lasting mark on the hospital.

My main sources for this episode include the Manicomio di Volterra website and an article by John Foot called "Franco Basaglia and the Radical Psychiatric Movement in Italy, 1961-1978." All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week's episode covers a particularly turbulent time in Italian history: from WWI to WWII and the birth of the Republic. Find out how Volterra Lunatic Asylum fared during wartime and why it began to help feed the surrounding city of Volterra. Learn why the hospital superintendent was forced to retire after 34 years on the job. Discover how Fascism infiltrated every aspect of daily life.

My main sources for this episode are the Manicomio di Volterra website and several Britannica articles on WWI, WWII, and the rise of Facism. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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In this week's episode, we head to Tuscany, Italy, to the hilltop town of Volterra. Learn about the early history of the Volterra Lunatic Asylum, the political climate of Italy at the time, and the controversial treatments of the first asylum director, Dr. Luigi Scabia. Finally, hear the stories of two artists who were sent to Volterra later in their lives.

The main source for this episode is the Manicomio di Volterra website. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week's episode is perfectly-timed for Halloween! Learn about Rolling Hills Asylum as a haunted attraction and what draws people to the site. Find out about the staff and patients who lived at the poor farm and whose spirits are said to roam the halls still. Discover what is so creepy about the "Christmas Room" and what happens to visitors when they lie down on the autopsy slab in the morgue. Listen, if you dare, and find out how YOU can visit Rolling Hills Asylum!

All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week we discuss the history of Rolling Hills Asylum, which was known as the Genesee County Poor Farm while it was in operation. Learn about the historical context that shows why poorhouses started in New York. Find out about the doctor that exposed the horrific conditions that poor and mentally ill folks were living in. Finally, discover when and why the Genesee County Farm became known as Rolling Hills Asylum.

All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week's episode tells the stories of six survivors of Ireland's Magdalen laundries and orphanages. Learn what their typical work day was like, what punishments they experienced, and what the long-term consequences were of incarceration at the laundries.

My main sources for this episode include the 1998 documentary Sex in a Cold Climate and a 2013 BBC article entitled, "Magdalene Laundries: Survivor Stories." All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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This week's episode discusses the history of Magdalen Asylums (also called Magdalen Laundries) in England and Ireland. Focus lies primarily on the history of these laundries in Ireland. Find out how and why these asylums started, how many there were of them in England and Ireland, and what finally brought them to a close.

My primary source for this episode is the book Do Penance or Perish by Frances Finnegan, an article by the Justice for Magdalenes Research, and various other online sources. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript.

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