Rules for Employees of the London Asylum

'Province of Ontario Official Rules and Regulations for the Guidance of Officers and Employees of the Provincial Hospitals for the Insane,' 1908. RMHCL

'Province of Ontario Official Rules and Regulations for the Guidance of Officers and Employees of the Provincial Hospitals for the Insane,' 1908. RMHCL

In 1908, the Province of Ontario released a rulebook entitled Province of Ontario: Official Rules and Regulations for the Guidance of Officers and Employees of the Provincial Hospitals for the Insane. These rules were intended to set a standard for care and guide the staff of asylums in Ontario.

Employees of the LAI were expected to provide a positive example to patients. Staff members were expected to refrain from drinking, sexual promiscuity, and disruptive behaviour. Strict curfews were in place for all residents and misconduct was severely reprimanded. In a speech to employees in 1878, Dr. R. Maurice Bucke outlined these rules for his staff: