Crazy bones: evidence of insanity in the skeletal collection of the Colorado State Insane Asylum
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Abstract
Excavations of a forgotten cemetery of the Colorado Insane Asylum yielded the skeletons of approximately 155 individuals buried between 1879 and 1899. The collection exhibited a number of abnormalities that could be related to pathological conditions that may have been the cause of insanity for those present. The skeletons were examined for abnormalities, especially to the crania, and these abnormalities were compared to conditions that may have afflicted Victorian populations and resulted in insanity. In particular, several crania, while normal in appearance, were extremely heavy. Radiographs ...
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