The House on The Hill

Sam lived in a community housing project. He had been moved into the community when the institution that had been his home for most of his life closed.

In the 1940' s the doctors injected him with large doses of insulin to produce a convulsion.

When he had convulsed to their satisfaction, they would pass glucose liquid via a tube into his stomach in order to try and revive him.

They told him that this was in his best interests.

In the 1950' s they started giving him large doses of the drug Chlorpromazine.

He paced about a lot, became restless, suffered parkinsonian symptoms, oculogyric crises and had trouble moving about freely.

The side effects could be tolerated and the drug was in his best interests they told him.

In the 1960's he had his frontal lobes assaulted with repeated electric shocks, he was given even more Chlorpromazine before being entered into a "behaviour modification" program and was given LSD.

In the 1970's his Chlorpromazine continued.

He was given further electric shocks to his brain and was started on a course of anti-depressants.

He was moved to a ward where a token economy was operated. He could win tokens for cigarettes if he behaved 'properly'.

"Behavioural modification" was continued as the theories continued to change.

In the 1980's his Chlorpromazine was switched to other drugs and he had further assaults in the form of electric shocks. This too was in Sam's best interests. At least that's what they told him.

In the early 1990's, the hospital closed and Sam was moved into the housing project in order to "Rehabilitate" him. He was visited every fortnight by his community psychiatric nurse who injected him with depot drugs.

This too was now in his best interests. So they told him.

Sam was aged 79.