Scott O’Lone
Blog #4
ENG 3080J
The Ridges
Every
Ohio University student knows about the legendary mental hospital on top of the
hill. Mental hospitals were popular and the history of the Ridges makes it a
large part of Athens history. I think this is important because many of the
early treatments used in mental hospitals were used at the Ridges. These
horrific treatments include water treatment, shock therapy, and lobotomies.
This is a good example of how mental patients were mistreated during this time.
I
think this information is important to remember. We talk about the legends and
ghost stories of the Ridges, but forget about the patients who endured such
horrible conditions. It is more interesting to talk about the supernatural. As
soon as a ghost story is told about a historical event or person, the real
story is forgotten. This is interesting because we have read Ghost Riders, which uses this technique
to tell a real story. This makes it difficult to understand what is real, and
what is a story fabricated for a wider audience.
It was nice to read something about the Ridges that wasn't linked with the ghost stories for a change. I found it interesting to consider the patients who had been in that horrific facility before us and is almost disappointing how little respect we give to the patients who like you said endured those procedures
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nate about how it was refreshing to hear something about the Ridges that did not have to do with ghosts. Ohio University students often forget the purpose that the Ridges served before it was shut down. I also liked how you included a few of the early treatments that doctors tested on patient. My only suggestion would be to explain one or two of them so the reader has a full understanding of just how horrific they were. Also I like how you touched on the subject that ghost stories seem to overtake the importance of the real one.
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