394 Comments for Massachusetts Mental Health Center

I worked in a maintenance position at this hospital for over 6 years and had probably been in every room or location in that hospital as I had access to a master key. I also heard many stories from career people and how the treatment of patients changed over the years. The CIA even did a LSD trial back in the 60's there and that story came out in the 90's VI's the Boston Globe. There were old electrical panels most likely used for electric shock in various areas. The hospital originally had a underground 3 boiler set up to heat and provide hot water. Because of this steam pipes covered with espestis were everywhere. Also everywhere were cockroaches. They would especially come out at night in the patients dining room. There was even a subterranean Olympic sized pool underneath the large gymnasium. That had been long abanded and was used as Storage when I worked there. I used to see this patient walk up to one of the photos here of the sleep study that was pioneered at this hospital and lick the same spot every day. I can remember going into the Doctor who created that sleep study room one day and there was this cute cat who also had some type of monitoring device mounted to its scull for research. At least once a month a patient would lose control and destroy doors,windows and furniture always keeping us busy. Also some of the medicines the patients were taking would cause them to look and act just like you see on tv. Sometimes it was hard to tell the clinical staff from the patients.

No blood or urine there....just the collection tube ready for the next person who comes in the door.

Tony C., LOL, you almost made me spit coke out on my computer!!

Alright, LabTech James!! You beat me to the explanation and saved me a bit of typing. You get the purple jellybean. lol

The gas lines would be the two nozzles to each side (actually one may be gas and one vacuum) and the water faucets are the tall curved ones in the middle. Yes, there is a narrow trough underneath the faucets to drain any water that comes out/leaks. The knobs controlling these would be on the outside of the hood along the bottom edge (where you sit/stand) or lined up along the side. Considering this was a chemistry lab, this is most likely a fume hood rather than a biological isolation cabinet (which would be similar but found in the microbiology lab).

Motts, I'm so glad you go to this place before they tore it down. I did a study there on esp and they locked me in one of the patient rooms!

...wow...my nurse aunts would term that patient an "Ivy League" one - as in put back in his room with an IV (get it?) of something that sent him/her "away with the fairies" until sturdier restraints/doors/etc were ordered.

Ummm

k0vert, I thought the very same thing, like a mini galaxy trapped in the window.

This is so fucking cool!!

Now this is cool.

I'm amazed that when it came time to close these places things were just left right where they were used the last time. What happened? Did someone yell 'okay, we're closing this place....' and then everyone just dropped what they were doing and left? How is blood and urine left on a table?

Glad to see they are collecting Whole Blood, I've heard it's not safe to use skim.

Eliminating the blind corner made it safer for staff to enter; no surprise attack. If this is the room I think it is, there was a screen at the window that initially was not adequate to keep the patient from getting between the screen and the glass. Not Good! I recall one patient who broke about 20 panes of glass (in a different/non-seclusion room) before we got him to the floor. It took about 40 stitches to each arm to sew him up, and he kept fighting until threatened with leather restraints.

I worked at this facility for a year. I came away with the impression that most of the patients were very intelligent; perhaps too intelligent to manage in our "sane" world. I wish we had better and more successful methods of treatment for those who are tormented by things they have no control over. I burned out after the place was reorganized due to budget shortfalls. Many patients were "farmed out" during a union weekend work slowdown, and some managed well enough to stay out. It gave pause to consider the treatment methods of the day.