John Seward M.D.

Location and year:

Purfleet Lunatic Asylum, 1890.

Post tags:

OOC posts — #ooc post

Reblogs — #peer reviewed by dr. seward

Diary entries — #speaking to the phonograph

Asks — #administrative duties

— @misselizabethgodwin

This is not an oversight of the asylum, Miss Godwin. The asylum has limited resources and staff, therefore you cannot have a ladies maid. Further more, if you were to receive a ladies maid every woman in this asylum would have to have a ladies maid.

I do also believe, as your doctor, that a more simple style of hair and dress may benefit your treatment, considering your nervousness regarding your appearance. A lady should have no reason to change her dress multiple times a day whilst in an asylum, Miss Godwin.

Could you please allow me to bring aconite(also known as wolfsbane) into the asylum for testing purposes. I attempted to, yesterday, and the attendants took it off me. I need it for my experiments, I think it may be able to make my condition more manageable. Additionally, if I could be given some matches for experimentation purposes that would also be extremely helpful.

Yours faithfully,

Thomas Lee

Dear Mr. Lee,

I hope you understand why I cannot allow you to bring matches into my humble establishment, and why the attendants took them from you. If I were to allow you matches and wolfsbane, I would need to allow every patient matches and wolfsbane, which I simply cannot do. You have yourself admitted that they are intended for your own experimentation, which cannot be permitted. Once again, if I were to allow you to experiment, I should have to allow everyone here to experiment.

Yours sincerely,

I can only conclude that my previous letter was insufficiently plain, for I had imagined that the proprietor of a lunatic asylum would possess sufficient intelligence to comprehend that my words were not intended as a request, but as an instruction.

It is I who bear the expense of my daughter's residence within your establishment. The position you occupy in this matter is therefore one of service, not authority. My daughter is to receive the very best care your institution can provide, and it is evident that such care cannot be represented by this Dr. Tom; for had he been the most capable physician attached to your asylum, it would be he who presided over it.

Should you require reminding of the respective positions we occupy in this arrangement, I have enclosed a banknote, the value of which would, I imagine, suffice to provide medical treatment for a dozen of your ordinary patients, with a comfortable sum remaining besides. I leave it to your discretion whether that remainder is devoted to the maintenance of your establishment or to those less reputable indulgences to which men of your station are so often inclined.

I trust that no further misunderstanding will arise upon this subject.

I remain, Sir, Yours sincerely,

𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓂 𝒢𝑜𝒹𝓌𝒾𝓃

Dear Mr. Godwin,

I have received your letter and the enclosed banknote. It is a generous sum, which shall be applied toward the care of the patients within the asylum. Please accept my deepest thanks for your donation.

At your instance, I shall look into your daughter's case personally and do all that lies in my power to restore her mind.

I remain, sir,

Your obedient servant,