Dorothea Lynde Dix - a Historical Figure - Research Paper Example

 There are not that many people in the world who can claim to have achieved what Dorothea Lynde Dix achieved in her lifetime. Her name may not ring familiar with many people, but for those who work for the benefit of the mentally handicapped, she is considered a super heroine of some sort. Dorothea was a 19th century teacher, nurse, social reformer and humanitarian who fought for the rights and wellbeing of the mentally handicapped in the United States. She was born on April 4, 1802 in Maine, Massachusetts. As a child, Dix did not have the privilege of growing up in a good home. Her mother was not of sound mind and her father, who happened to be a Methodist preacher, was an abusive alcoholic. Her discontent with her family made her to leave for Boston where she lived and studied under the care of her grandmother1. Dix's Early Work Dix's love for education started when she was still a young girl, and by the time she was 14, she had already started teaching at a school for girls. What was amazing is that she devised her own curricula that emphasized on natural sciences and ethical living. From the very beginning, Dix had a special spot in her heart for the poor in society. Her wealthy grandmother usually discouraged her from helping beggars, but this did not stop her giving out clothes and food to any beggar children that she came across. In 1822 Dix managed to open her own school that was focused on the education of poor girls. Up until 1836, she had managed to teach and spare sometime to write children books. Her second career as an advocate for the rights of the mentally ill developed when she was recuperating from tuberculosis in England. She witnessed the conditions in which the mentally ill were forced to live in and determined that she would fight to ensure that those conditions were changed2. Dix was courageous enough to go against the beliefs of the time that dictated that the mentally ill were not fit members of society and that they deserved to suffer. It was generally accepted at the time that the mentally ill could not be cured. However, Dix's fight for the betterment of their dreadful conditions slowly changed this type of thinking. Dix was not a psychiatrist, and had no biological understanding of the reasons why the mentally ill behaved the way they did. However, she did not let her ignorance come in the way of what she had set out to do; and this was to ensure that the indigent insane lived much better lives than they were being subjected to at the time. She traveled to many almshouses and jails in several states, always championing for the rights of these individuals whom everybody had set aside. Although she was not strong health wise, her resolve to help the mentally ill never faded3. She played a big role in the establishment of numerous mental institutions and hospitals all over the United States. In 1848, she created the Bill for the Benefit of the Indigent Insane, whose main goal was to set aside 49, 473 square kilometers of land across the US that was to be used for the constructions of facilities for the mentally ill. Afterwards, she traveled widely in Europe championing for the rights of prisoners, the mentally insane and the handicapped. Dix passed away on July 17, 1987 aged 854. Dorothea Dix Impact in History Dorothea Dix was greatly dedicated as a social worker in her life as an adult. Being a teacher, humanitarian and nurse, she was better placed to be a reformist in social circles. She helped people traversing continents as she inspected jails and other institutions. Her main concern with various institutions was mistreatment of persons. She also played a significant role in changing people's perceptions about those with mental illnesses5. Dix's passion for the reformation of institutions came as a result of her study of the way those with mental illnesses were treated even in institutions that were meant to care for them. The cruelty she witnessed coupled with the poor hygienic conditions of these institutions saw her fight for better conditions get stronger with time. She noticed how those who were mentally retarded suffered from diseases due to the brutality that they were subjected to and for being ill dressed. She took advantage of her political influence to make public her findings and to bring sanity in various institutions6. Apart from bringing sanity to various institutions, she led crusades that saw several changes in society, albeit opting to remain at the background. Although American by birth, Dix's work was never limited to her country as she traversed national boundaries in her social work. She is credited with the establishment or further development of close to 32 mental health centers in Japan, Europe and America. Even today, her efforts are appreciated as governments and various organizations continue with the work of fighting stigmatization of people who are mentally ill7. In 1861, working as a senior nurse with Simon Cameron, Dix saw the recruitment, training and dispatch of about 2000 female nurses who were destined to care for wounded soldiers who participated in the civil war. Although she was employed to care for the Union forces wounded during the civil war, Dix's compassion saw care even for the wounded confederate. In her view, even the wounded enemy was a poor suffering human being. This measure in the long run saw her gain the favor of the southerners where her move for the reformation of mental health institutions was also welcomed8. Her efforts toward the better life of those in mental health institutions saw the enactment of legislation to expand the mental hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts. She dedicated a lot of effort in seeing to it that various appropriation bills and legislations were drafted and implementation of appropriate projects done. One of the major bills that is associated with Dix's effort to public reform is the Bill for the Benefit of the Indigent Insane. This bill saw the apportioning of close to 50, 000 sq kilometers of federal land for the establishment of institutions to care for the dumb, deaf and blind. In this respect, Dix did not only confine herself to fighting for the mentally ill but also for other members of the society who were disadvantaged, something that many governments across the world seek to continue doing9. It is as a result of Dix's investigations in Europe and England that the Scottish Lunacy Commission was eventually established. Considering the accomplishments of Dix within a period of 15 years only, some historians agree that she achieved more in life than most people achieve in their lifetime10. Conclusion Dorothea's contribution to the well being of the indigent insane in America, and indeed in the rest of the world cannot is quite commendable. Her love for the seemingly downtrodden in society saved many lives both on and off the streets. As evidenced by her childhood action of immersing herself in the world of education it is only right to ay that Dorothea was very passionate about literacy. Her passion for the education of the members of society at the lower level of the economic ladder saw her open schools for the poor and a model school for girls. It was not long after that she was at the rescue of another group of neglected members of the society, the indigent insane. She made several personal efforts to see to it that proper asylums were established for pauper lunatics, as they were referred to at the time. When talk of the Bill for the Benefit of the Indigent Insane comes to mind, one cannot help but think of the sacrifices that Dorothea had to make to ensure that those diagnosed with insanity in the US and in europe had a place to call home. She was instrumental in making them part of the American society, and not the burdensome lunatics that many people had thought they were. She also made the lives of prisoners more bearable and the handicapped to be accepted through her numerous campaigns. Works Cited Clarke, .Wilson, Dorothy. Stranger and Traveler: The Story of Dorothea Dix, American Reformer, 1975. Boston, MA: Little Brown. Dix Dorothea & Lightner David. Asylum, prison, and poorhouse: the writings and reform work of in Illinois. Southern Illinois University Press. 1999. Dix Dorothea. Remarks on prisons and prison discipline in the United States. Publisher Kite Publishing. Harvard University. 2005. Dix Dorothea. Conversations on common things: or, guide to knowledge. With questions. For the use of schools and families. By a teacher. University Press. 2008.Gollaher, David. Voice of the Mad: the Life of Dorothea Dix, 1995. New York: Free Press. Muskingum. Dorothea Lynde Dix (1824 – 1880). 2000. Viewed 20th April, 2011http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/dix.htm Read More