Escape from the Cage; 1; Early Treatment of the Mentally Ill; Historical Review of Attitude Changes Toward Mentally Ill
- Series
- Escape from the Cage
- Episode Number
- 1
- Producing Organization
- WCET (Television station : Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Contributing Organization
- Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/512-n29p26r245
- NOLA Code
- EFCG
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- Description
- Episode Description
- The program -- and the series -- is introduced by explanation of the cage in the title of the series. The cage symbolizes the restraints, chains, cells and prisons in which the mentally ill were kept by societies ignorant and afraid of the true nature of insanity. It also represents the progress man has made in freeing the mentally ill from these restraints as more has been learned about this problem. This program outlines the history of the treatment of insanity from earliest times through the end of the middle ages. The narrator, Mr. Steven Palmer, describes some of the misapprehensions about insanity, some of the ways the ancient Greeks and Romans treated it, and what happened to classical thought on the subject after the fall of the Roman Empire. The influence of the rise of the Roman Catholic Church, the belief in angels, devils and magic, the methods used by the Holy Inquisition to cure madness are presented in the narration: pictures, statues, and old engravings are all used. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Series Description
- Escape from the Cage is a series designed to present some basic information on the subject of mental health and illness. Starting from the premise that there is a great need for correct information about this problem, the series of eleven half-hour episodes presents the history of the treatment of mental illness from earliest times to today, and the techniques currently in use as well as the theories which guide research in the field. Psychosurgery, drug therapy, the open hospital, child psychology and psychotherapy, organic and psychodynamic research, are defined and described in film clips of hospitals and research centers, and by doctors and psychiatrists currently working in different areas of the field. Steven Palmer, who serves as host throughout the series, holds a degree in psychology and did additional work in this field at the New York University Graduate School. In addition to this, and in preparation for the series, Mr. Palmer has worked in a mental hospital, learning from personal experience about the techniques and methods used in the treatment of the mentally ill. As a writer and producer, Mr. Palmer has worked both on WKCR-TV and on WCOP-TV in Cincinnati, as well as with WCFT, the ETV station which prepared the series. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Broadcast Date
- 1960-00-00
- Asset type
- Episode
- Topics
- Education
- History
- Psychology
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Credits
-
-
Host: Palmer, Steven
Producing Organization: WCET (Television station : Cincinnati, Ohio)
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2300208-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2300208-2 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Escape from the Cage; 1; Early Treatment of the Mentally Ill; Historical Review of Attitude Changes Toward Mentally Ill,” 1960-00-00, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed June 9, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-n29p26r245.
- MLA: “Escape from the Cage; 1; Early Treatment of the Mentally Ill; Historical Review of Attitude Changes Toward Mentally Ill.” 1960-00-00. Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. June 9, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-n29p26r245>.
- APA: Escape from the Cage; 1; Early Treatment of the Mentally Ill; Historical Review of Attitude Changes Toward Mentally Ill. Boston, MA: Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-n29p26r245