Thirty-one-year-old Eleanor Hartwell dies at Connecticut psychiatric hospital on June 12, 1930, from hyperthermia after being locked in fever cabinet heated to 106 degrees for three hours as treatment for “melancholia” that psychiatrist Dr. Wagner believed required inducing artificial fever to “shock brain into normal function.” Eleanor was institutionalized eight months ago after postpartum depression following stillbirth—grieving, unable to function, husband committed her for psychiatric treatment. Wagner diagnosed melancholia requiring aggressive intervention, prescribed fever cabinet therapy—new experimental treatment using heated box to induce high fever, theory being extreme temperature would reset brain chemistry.
Eleanor is stripped naked, locked in wooden cabinet with only head exposed, cabinet interior heated to 106 degrees by steam pipes, body temperature rises to dangerous levels while Wagner monitors believing fever will cure depression. Eleanor begs for release after thirty minutes—cabinet is unbearable, she’s burning, can’t breathe hot air. Wagner refuses—protocol requires three hours at target temperature, early termination compromises treatment, Eleanor’s discomfort is necessary for therapeutic benefit.
Eleanor spends three hours experiencing life-threatening hyperthermia while Wagner documents her responses, records vital signs, watches her die from heat exposure he’s inducing for psychiatric treatment.
This tintype from 1930 shows Eleanor two hours into treatment, age thirty-one, locked in fever cabinet with face showing extreme distress. Only her head is visible protruding from wooden box—face is bright red, dripping sweat, eyes unfocused from heat exposure. Thermometer shows cabinet interior at 106 degrees, Eleanor’s body temperature is 105.8 degrees—approaching fatal hyperthermia. Dr. Wagner stands beside cabinet taking notes—recording Eleanor’s responses, documenting treatment progress, observing patient’s deterioration as experimental data. Behind him, other psychiatrists observe—learning fever cabinet technique, discussing Eleanor’s symptoms, considering adopting treatment for their own institutions. Eleanor has been in cabinet for two hours, has one hour remaining, is experiencing dangerous hyperthermia Wagner believes will cure her melancholia. Cabinet is locked, Eleanor can’t escape, must endure full three hours regardless of physical damage. Wagner calculates she can survive temperature for treatment duration, considers her suffering necessary cost of psychiatric cure. Eleanor is dying from induced fever Wagner calls medicine, experiencing heat torture psychiatrist calls healing.
Eleanor dies at 3:47 PM—body temperature reaches 107.2 degrees, organs fail from hyperthermia, dies while still locked in fever cabinet Wagner heated to cure her depression. Wagner documents death as “treatment complication,” notes fever induced successfully but patient couldn’t tolerate therapeutic temperature, recommends reducing duration for future treatments. Hospital reports Eleanor died from complications of melancholia, doesn’t mention she was killed by experimental fever treatment, tells husband psychiatric condition proved fatal despite aggressive intervention.
Eleanor’s body shows heat damage—internal organs cooked from hyperthermia, brain damage from elevated temperature, evidence she died from being heated to 106 degrees for three hours.
Wagner faces no consequences—fever cabinet therapy was experimental but accepted psychiatric treatment, Eleanor’s death was treatment risk not malpractice, psychiatric innovation requires accepting patient casualties. Wagner continues using fever cabinet on other patients, reduces treatment to two hours, continues believing induced hyperthermia cures mental illness, kills additional patients before fever therapy is eventually abandoned in 1940s.
Eleanor’s husband discovered truth in 1965 through hospital records—found photographs, treatment notes, evidence Eleanor was heated to death treating postpartum depression. Testimony from nurse who witnessed treatment: “Eleanor Hartwell died from fever cabinet treatment at Connecticut hospital in 1930. She was 31, had postpartum depression after stillbirth. Dr. Wagner said melancholia required fever therapy. Locked Eleanor in wooden cabinet, heated interior to 106 degrees. Kept her there 3 hours. Eleanor begged for release after 30 minutes. Wagner refused, said full treatment was necessary. I watched her dying from heat. Body temperature reached 107.2 degrees.
Organs failed. She died locked in cabinet. Wagner called it treatment complication. Hospital told husband psychiatric condition proved fatal.
Eleanor died from being heated to 106 degrees treating depression that didn’t require killing her with hyperthermia. That photograph shows Eleanor locked in fever cabinet. Shows Dr. Wagner monitoring. Shows patient dying from psychiatric treatment. That’s how asylums treated depression in 1930. Heated patients until organs failed.”
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