DIX, Dorothea L. - KENNARD, Caroline A.

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Miss Dorothea L. Dix and her Life-Work. Sole edition of a brief account of the woman who almost single-handedly created the first generation of mental asylums in America, written by the pioneering American scientist and women's rights campaigner Caroline A. Kennard."In her lifetime, Dorothea Dix brought about significant changes in the care of the mentally ill in North America and Europe. Her work influenced conceptions about those held in prisons and asylums by identifying mental illness as a medical rather than moral issue. Her efforts helped pave the way for improved treatment of the mentally ill as well as the creation of more than 120 new mental health facilities. As biographers Charles Schlaifer and Lucy Freeman wrote, "It was Dorothea Lynde Dix who lifted the status [of the insane] from that of wounded beasts who were brutalized, chained, thrown food as though they were vicious dogs, and left to freeze in the cold, to that of troubled mortals who could be helped to regain their senses as they received understanding care that helped them reach the roots of their inner disturbances" (p. 161). Dix's compassionate work and dedicated effort for over forty years helped open the eyes of many to the plight of the mentally ill. Her distinguished career as an advocate for reform has earned her an important place in history as well as the respect of people around the world." (American National Biography).

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