This Insane Asylum Installed A Jacuzzi In 1895 That Could Fit 15 Patients
Insane asylums in the 19th century were usually bleak, gray buildings with barred windows and little to no comfort.
But in the late 1800s, the Stockton Insane Asylum in California surprised everyone with a new addition to the facility, according to TikToker Audrey (@victoriangossipgirl), who shares creepy facts about the Victorian era.
If you’re into weird Victorian history and insane asylums, then you’re in the right place.
The Stockton Insane Asylum installed a communal jacuzzi in 1895 that could fit about 15 patients at once. It was proudly deemed “the great bath.”
The jacuzzi was 20 feet long, and patients were forced to bathe together. It was deep enough for them to get clean, but it was still shallow enough so the patients couldn’t harm themselves.
The patients were delighted with the new baths. They may have been locked up in an asylum, but at least they could enjoy a nice soak every now and then. It was probably the closest thing to luxury they were ever going to get.
The jacuzzi represented a broader shift in how some institutions were beginning to experiment with more humane methods of care. Doctors believed that warm baths could calm nerves, soothe agitation, and improve overall mood.
Of course, by modern standards, a communal jacuzzi does not sound appealing at all. Imagine a bunch of people crowded together, shoulder-to-shoulder in water that is only getting dirtier by the minute.
In the comments section of Audrey’s video, several people pointed out all the diseases and infections you could contract from bathing with 15 individuals.
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For patients living in isolated conditions because they were deemed too emotional, the jacuzzi may have been a rare moment of comfort and normalcy.
While it did not erase the hardships of life in an asylum, it did prove that small innovations in these types of settings can make a world of difference.
Overall, Victorian medicine consisted of outdated treatments and questionable practices, but a communal jacuzzi may be one of the most bizarre installments of the era.
Today, we head to spas, hotels, or gyms for our jacuzzi time. The next time you’re soaking away your troubles, you may remember this dark piece of history.
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