Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: Electric cabinet bath. 1904

Editor: Here we have "Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: Electric cabinet bath." by Woodhead Studio. This photograph depicts two figures beside a strange-looking wooden box. It feels quite clinical and raises questions about the treatment of patients. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The title and stark imagery immediately highlight the means of production and power dynamics within the hospital setting. The electric cabinet bath—its material construction and intended purpose—speaks to a very specific mode of labor and control. Editor: Control? Curator: Yes. Consider the materials: wood, electricity. What does their combination here suggest about the understanding and treatment of epilepsy at the time, the relationship between technology, labor, and the body? Editor: It does seem like a pretty brutal application of resources. I guess it’s sobering to see how materials are used, and to think about the assumptions behind them. Curator: Precisely. It invites us to critically examine the social and ethical implications of these practices.