Ten days in a Madhouse
Nellie Bly's Ten Days In A Mad-House
In the 1880s rumours began to circulate of a living nightmare in New York City’s Women’s Lunatic Asylum. Nellie Bly, a news reporter, sensed the opportunity and entered the asylum pretending to be mentally ill.
Bly was born in Pennsylvania in 1864 to a very poor family. On receiving a letter of complaint from Bly, the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch, realising her talent, hired her to write about the poverty and working conditions in local factories. She moved to New York City in 1887.
Upon entering the asylum undercover, she found the situation to be worse than the rumours. The building, overrun with mice, was housing more than 1600 patients, almost double the capacity. Inmates were fed stale bread and rotten fruit, and bathed just once a week in dirty bathwater, and were subjected to beatings by staff. Bly realized that many of the inmates were not mentally ill, but simply unable to speak English or were too poor to take care of themselves.
After ten days, Bly’s employer, the New York World, demanded her release, and published her story under the title "Ten Days In A Mad-House". Her exposé inflamed public opinion, leading to a police investigation. Conditions at the asylum improved significantly as a result.
In 2015, Bly’s story was made into a film under the same title as her exposé. She continued to fight for the poor and for feminist causes until her death in 1922, proving to be a role model for both.
Bly was born in Pennsylvania in 1864 to a very poor family. On receiving a letter of complaint from Bly, the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch, realising her talent, hired her to write about the poverty and working conditions in local factories. She moved to New York City in 1887.
Upon entering the asylum undercover, she found the situation to be worse than the rumours. The building, overrun with mice, was housing more than 1600 patients, almost double the capacity. Inmates were fed stale bread and rotten fruit, and bathed just once a week in dirty bathwater, and were subjected to beatings by staff. Bly realized that many of the inmates were not mentally ill, but simply unable to speak English or were too poor to take care of themselves.
After ten days, Bly’s employer, the New York World, demanded her release, and published her story under the title "Ten Days In A Mad-House". Her exposé inflamed public opinion, leading to a police investigation. Conditions at the asylum improved significantly as a result.
In 2015, Bly’s story was made into a film under the same title as her exposé. She continued to fight for the poor and for feminist causes until her death in 1922, proving to be a role model for both.
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References
- Bly, N.. Ten Days In A Mad-house. Ian L. Munro. 1887