Bedlam: The History of Bethlem Hospital

Bedlam: The History of Bethlem Hospital

2010, History  -   25 Comments
7.47
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Ratings: 7.47/10 from 75 users.

Bedlam: The History of Bethlem HospitalThe Bethlem Royal Hospital in London became infamous in the 1600's in regards to the inhumane and cruel treatment of its patients as revealed by psychiatric historians.

Bedlam: The History of Bethlem Hospital reveals why Bedlam came to stand for the very idea of madness itself.

It was satirized for centuries as both a human zoo and a university of madness and for 100 years was one of London's leading tourist attractions, as Madame Tussauds is today.

Britain's leading psychiatric historians discuss Bedlam and its inhabitants as we reveal the incredible history of one of U.K's most notorious institutions.

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Chris
Chris
3 years ago

Why oh why do documentarians think they need loud music to compete with the speakers and all but drown them out? Cut the music!

Loretta Chardin
Loretta Chardin
7 years ago

Wow! That's the same king (GeorgeIII) that the American colonies were rebelling against. It's interesting that the Quakers tried a more humane approach in York; they were also instrumental in designing the "Penitentiary," modeled on monasteries, as a reform measure to barbaric punishments for crime. Incidentally, the Quakers are now opposing prison as a way of dealing with crime!!

Elissa Sangi
Elissa Sangi
10 years ago

There is an excellent movie on The Madness of King George with Michael Caine as the physican. this documentary fails to inform, King George peed blue, indicitive of a disease. Yes, the physician imparted discipline within the mind /actions of King George but the real cure was when he stopped peeing blue. The medical world now knows what this condition is. In King Georges' case, it subsided by itself and unfortunetly this 'documentary' makes no mention of this malady.

Watcher
Watcher
11 years ago

Meh, the documentary doesn't describe how "mental illness" was used by governments to silence people. In the case of the King, for instance, it's more probable that records describe him becoming mad in order to punish and threaten him for not doing as he was told by those powerful around him, or by those who simply wished him to disappear, wished to discredit him. It continues to use the language of "treatment" and so on, even when it was apparent that "treatments" like the spinning chair were simply punishments and not an attempt to cure suppose madness. This shows a significant bias on the part of producers to legitimate the psychiatric profession, rather than to question it through the lens of history. Lastly, the documentary does not address the fact that so-called "madness" could have been the result of drugging (i.e, drugging the King's and other patient's food) as still occurs today, or that "treatments" could have included drugs that actually make people psychotic as still occurs to present day in psychiatric "treatments." All in all, the documentary did not do enough to present a thoughtful account of the abuses committed in these "madness" institutions, or possible political, social, economic and simply power related explanations for the very labeling of madness itself. I would rate this a one or two out of five.

Michael Guerrieri
Michael Guerrieri
11 years ago

This must have been inspired by saw

Be Hood
Be Hood
11 years ago

I wasn't impressed. It was too airy and whimsical. I was hoping for something gritty, meaty, thick. Interesting, yes, but next time, leave out the ridiculous/non-funny reenactments.

Angela Velazquez
Angela Velazquez
12 years ago

Very interesting. definitely worth watching if you have a mental illness or know someone who does. Try to imagine being locked in there, it must have been terrifying to be a spectacle and to be experimented on. I am so glad mental health systems have gotten much better since those times and have a somewhat real understanding, or at least try to. I am glad i live now rather than then, or else i would be in that situation.

Pippa Tea
Pippa Tea
12 years ago

This was really good!

scorpiosy
scorpiosy
12 years ago

A very interesting documentary

Scott Thagard
Scott Thagard
12 years ago

Very informative!

harry nutzack
harry nutzack
12 years ago

interesting doc to say the least.. a bit light-hearted, yet informative. the airloom is remarkable, i think, in that its the forerunner of the modern "microwave mind control" mania, and for the level of detail to the extreme. it would also appear 18th century brits really knew how to take a day off... a choice of visiting an asylum on tour, or attending a harlot whipping beats my local choices of beach or casino hands down....

Tony148
Tony148
12 years ago

I loved it ! I can actually say that I'm in Bedlam now and it has true meaning GREAT !!!

Erational
Erational
12 years ago

This was a really good documentary!

John Christopher McDonald
John Christopher McDonald
12 years ago

This was a fantastic documentary! I love these gems that come up I know I would have never seen if not for this site.

I have no idea why the government had such a strong interest in keeping Mathews locked up over his airloom story. Seems like anyone meddling in politics would be thrown away regardless of the legitimacy of their work.

bygdaddiesstee
bygdaddiesstee
12 years ago

I really liked It! It was informative and entertaining. Bedlem has a new meaning and I a new perspective on the the ever thining line between sane and insane, and who determins either. Most intriging was the artist renderings

Xercès Des Stèles
Xercès Des Stèles
12 years ago

oh yeh he was mad because he thought a sinister machine operated by french agents was trying to control the gov... or maby the winners get to write History...

knowledgeizpower
knowledgeizpower
12 years ago

Interesting documentary. The using of leaches to drain the madness from patients yeah this was fascinating...Peace

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

Not bad but I'd have liked a bit more about the Mad Doctors and their cures, looks like shock treatment has always been a favourite.

Truthseeker420
Truthseeker420
12 years ago

It's a good thing it's 2011 or else I'd most likely be chained to a wall too.

KsDevil
KsDevil
12 years ago

Different time, different culture. Applyng modern cultural norms do not do history justice. However, arrogance and ignornace still abound concerning those outside the status quo. And it is still wondered, who truely is sane.

Earthwinger
Earthwinger
12 years ago

I'm guessing that if James Tilly Matthews were alive today, he'd have something to say about HAARP.

Fascinating doc. :)

Mini MB
Mini MB
12 years ago

Good documentary :)