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By Root 166 0

Lord, nervous, tightened his fist round the glass syringe so much the glass tubing was crushed. Still he held onto the needle, gently now, like a dart, and the guard seeing it not even waver from the doctor’s eye, opened the doors. Lord then called out for others to follow, he called out Bolden’s name again and again but his friend was now sitting on the barber chair watching it all, waiting for the next customer who was somewhere on a table leaping up and down. So Lord went out. He was away for two days loose in the town of Jackson and then was brought back and beaten. He had a limp, said he almost broke his ankle going over a fence. But that wasn’t the cause. In his time out he had separated precisely the bottom circle from a bottle of Coca-Cola. He had ground it into a sharp disc and he kept it hidden under the instep of his left foot. He had it there in his tight shoe. He had his weapon and he’d come back for Bolden.

Selections from A Brief History of East Louisiana State Hospital by Lionel Gremillion

Hospital was opened in the year 1848. 87 patients transferred from the Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

1853. A minority report from a special committee stated patients in direst poverty and lacked sufficient food. Dinner consisted of a tin cupful of soup, meat about the size of a hen’s egg, and a small piece of bread. Breakfast was bread and coffee. Supper was bread and tea. Women patients not properly clothed. Cells had no heat.

1857. J.D. Barkdull made Superintendent. First time the institution was under the control of a medical man.

1861. Hospital included thirty-six girls, mostly under twelve years of age.

1855. Dysentery swept crowded wards and it was stated that ‘the diseased patients fell like grass before the scythe.’

1859. Some of the causes of insanity were listed as: ill health, loss of property, excessive use of tobacco, dissipation, domestic affliction, epilepsy, masturbation, home-sickness, injury of the head. The largest category was ‘unknown’.

1864. Supt. Barkdull was shot and killed in the streets of Jackson by a yankee soldier.

During the Civil War it was almost impossible to get food or water supplies to the hospital.

1882. Introduction of occupational therapy. Patients assigned to make moss mattresses.

1902–1904. 1397 patients. 490 were black. The Hospital purchased iron lavatories and toilets. A 20′ fountain was constructed on the lawn in front of the female building and stocked with gold and silver fish.

1910–1912. 1496 patients. The death rate was 11% per year. A moving picture machine was purchased for the amusement of the patients. A hearse was made at the hospital. A motor car was purchased to convey seven to eight passengers to and from the station.

1912–1914. The Hospital Band played every afternoon on the hospital lawn from 2 pm till 4 pm. 1650 patients. Wasserman tests were taken for the first time from 1924 onwards. Bolden given test. Negative.

1924 onwards. Dr T.J. Perkins made Superintendent. 2100 patients.

1931. Buddy Bolden dies.

1948. The Medcraft Shock Machine was purchased. Still in use today.

Willy Cornish

Then everyone was becoming famous. Jazz was now history. The library people were doing recordings and interviews. They didn’t care who it was that talked they just got them talking. Like Amacker, Woodman, Porteous, anybody. They didn’t ask what happened to his wife, his children, and no one knew about the Brewitts. All I had of Buddy was the picture here. Webb gave that to me. I never wanted to talk about him.

Didn’t know what to say. He had all that talent and wisdom he stole and learnt from people and then smashed it, smashed it like ice coming onto the highway off a truck. What did he see with all that? What good is all that if we can’t learn or know? I think Bellocq corrupted him with that mean silence so Buddy went and Bellocq stayed here shocked by his going and Buddy gone for two years then coming back and gentle with us till he had to go … crazy in front of children and Nora and everyone.

Then jesus that, jesus that hospital and the