THE MYSTERY OF ROHDA DERRY

This is a story of a 16-year-old girl Rhoda Derry. She had a very happy and beautiful childhood. When she turned 16, she fell in love with a boy who was living on the neighboring farm.

 However, his parents were against this relationship and did not approve of it. A couple of years later the duo planned to get married. The boy's parents threatened Rhoda. The boy's parents thought that Rhoda was involved in witchcraft. Rhoda was mentally broken down after this threat.

Rhoda was already scared of witches and this threat made her believe that an evil spirit named 'Old Scratch' was haunting her. And her mental health worsened day by day.

When her mental health worsened, she was sent to Jacksonville Mental Hospital declared incurable, and sent home. Her parents tried to take care of her as much as possible but her health worsened more and more. On  September 3 1860 she was finally sent to Adams County Almshouse. The records state that she was blind and insane.

The Almshouse treated the patients inhumanely. The Almshouse had in total of 101 patients. 36 of them were considered insane. Thoda spent her entire time naked and sealed in a horizontal rectangular wooden box. Her excrement filled the box and mice had built nests around her.

Rhoda used to sit inside the box with knees clutched to her body and was covered in bruises from head to toe. 

She used to punch herself in the mouth, losing all her teeth. Now she wasn't able to speak as well.

 

Rhoda was in this position for so long that she developed muscle atrophy and her leg movement was stopped. Her legs used to touch her chin.

In 1904, she was sent to Bartonville Asylum. There she was treated by Dr. George A. Zeller. He learned of the treatment given to Rhoda. She bathed daily and for the first time in many years, she slept on a bed. She was then treated by Dr for 2 years. On Oct 9, the day before her birthday, she passed away and was buried on the grounds of the asylum.

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