I'm continuing on this research project regarding endemic encephalitis specifically regarding Ruth Anderson. I'm assuming that she was an endemic encephalitis patient based on Cousin Alice's whispering comment "Sleeping sickness, terrible, terrible". The timing (1920s) makes sense, the profile (young adult) makes sense, the length of institutionalization (life-long) also makes sense. People would recover from this disease but most were forever scarred especially with psychosis and severe behavior and personality disorders.
Last night, it occurred to me that I could research about endemic encephalitis patients in general at Western State Hospital, the main mental hospital in Washington. Surely, Washington had their share of post-encephalitic patients during that period. So I started making some phone calls to Western State and later this afternoon I connected with Dave Hastings at the State Archives who was very helpful. He invited me to come and search the archives myself.
He was looking at a summary of admitting conditions for 1929. And encephalitis was NOT listed. Nor anything close. Might have been too late?
He also sent a Guide to the Historical Records for Western State Hospital. I suggested to Ilana (my library school student) that she come with me to the State Archives to research. We're going next Tuesday. Why not? Let's do it!
Picture is Western State Hospital circa 1915. Ruth became ill in the 1920s. She was in a California hospital (Napa State?) in the late 1920s. I know that she was at Western State 1935-1948.
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