Comments

I think it says "Don't fuck wit - - " and then I can't read the last word - prolly the name of some folks who thought they were pretty darn big kids on the block, I am guessing. :-)

Too funny!

At first glance, I thought they were coffins, then I saw they were doors.

Don't judge that by this pic - the press and state were pretty harsh on Dixmont for the problems they found rampant there. My memories are that it was fairly equivalent to the other underfunded places.

Into photoshop we go, and the grafitti is...

"Best f**k wit twister"

Twister? Please help with that last word.

Remember - anyone can get TB, even people with mental illness. There are a number of sites that will tell you about TB hospitals back at the turn of the last century that had wards exclusively for people with mental illness, and in some of those places ECT was used because it was considered state of the art at the time. A mouth gag is a small rubber device that is placed between your back teeth - dentists still use them so you don't have to hold your mouth open for a long procedure. People sometimes received insulin and/or Metrazol as well as ECT or in place of ECT and either way, the idea is that you know in advance that you are going to cause the person to have a seizure, so you want to protect their teeth from crunching together and breaking and keep them from biting their tongue. You can't be sticking your hand in the mouth of someone who is having a seizure unless you don't value your fingers. Trust me on this. :-)

Most tongue and teeth protectors were either rubber tubing you bit down on, gauze-wrapped/padded tongue protectors placed between the teeth, or "mouth gags."

What does the grafitti say? I got the first three words, but can't make out the last one(s).

Actually, it's Baker's pink - close, though!

Great old pix - thanks!

Excellent!

DANG, I love this shot! :-)

Another shot that is even better in black-and-white!

Dang! My spouse can repair furniture. I'd give my eye teeth to have that chair! Good thing I am not near enough to Pittsburgh to be tempted to drive up there and break my oath never to take anything from a facility! :-)

Although sometimes the call buttons were used for staff to notify other staff if they needed assistance.

Yes, call buttons - lights that light up when you hit your call button so you don't disturb everyone else if they are sleeping. I have them in my office, just like all the other offices in our building, but they haven't been used in years and years.