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he spent several hours each day socializing with the patients, often at tea time or after dinner. Just twenty-two years old, Folsom kept a diary of the year he spent working in the McLean pharmacy in 1825. It provides a rare window into daily life inside the hospital within just a few years of its opening.
    Sunday 8 May
    Walk to Norton’s road intending to go to meeting at Camb., but ascertained the bells were done tolling, & returned home. Sat in my chamber musing. P.M. [ ... ] Read a little in Bible. Walk with Col. G[oodwin, the steward], met Alex. Hamilton.[ ... ] In wing, reasoned with Amelia M. about being discontented & unruly—rcd advice pleasantly—hope it will do her some good. Miss E. is very jocose—says she recd an invitation to walk this eve. from a Gentleman of high standing. Wishes to start in stage for N. Haven tomorrow & will breakfast at Washburn’s Hotel .
    Bed 10
     
    Sat. 14 May
    Rose 5. Walk to Camb. [a walk of about ten miles round trip].... 7:30 breakfast at home. In wings til 11:45 when began to work on Records.
... 1, dine—Newspapers—1:45 Records til tea 6:30. Col. G. sat in room after tea—talk of F., B., P., &c [patients]. In wings K. silly & obscene today—Mrs. G. excited—With Dr. [Wyman] in S. wing—Ruth S. talked—Girls in III Story pleasant & orderly . Dr. amused them with Rabbits of Shadows.
     
    Mo. 11 July
    4:30—Kept awake by Dogs & heat from 3:30. Called Col. G. who goes this morn. to Bridgewater. Very hot at 4 P.M. + 92 degrees in Steward’s room. Dr. [Wyman] conversed on Intellectual Philosophy last night & this morn. Read a little on Cutaneous diseases in Good [John Mason Good’s The Study of Medicine ]. 10 A.M. visited female wing with Dr. Afterward til 3 P.M. copying cases. Waiting on company some time. Very hot, can’t read. In garden for fruit 6-6:30. After tea walk with P.—shower bath—patients—Journals 2 days—bed
     
    Thurs. 3 Nov.
    CHARLES G. of Quincy eloped at tea time from his room, taking out a window and tieing sheets &c together—brick found in room.
     
    Wednesday 9 Nov.
    Rose 6. Read Psalms. Visited patients. Walk with attend. & patients to Camb—I called a moment at C’s and left directions for Ar. Root saw [sister-in-law] Sarah & S. Eliz. Home 11. records & Patients till eve. Mrs. P died at tea time&Iclosed her eyes. Mrs. Wyman, with [daughter] Eliz. in my room, talked of Mrs. P. &c
    The published version of Folsom’s diary even includes the asylum’s regular weekly menu. Breakfast rarely varied: bread, butter, cheese, and coffee or cocoa. “Supper every day” was Souchong tea, bread and butter, and perhaps toast. Then came
    Dinner
    Sunday, Soup, meat and vegetables, and bread; or beans or peas, baked, and pudding

    Monday, Roasted beef or veal, or lamb, pork or mutton. Vegetables, bread and pudding
    Tuesday, Salt beef boiled, vegetables, bread, pudding, or fresh fish, vegetables and pudding.
    Wednesday, as on Sunday....
    Patients’ relatives dropped in often, as did the trustees’ Visiting Committee, who took their duties seriously; either Folsom or Wyman escorted them through the premises once a week. In town for the Bunker Hill festivities, the Marquis de Lafayette was supposed to visit the asylum, but he lingered too long at the Massachusetts General Hospital across the river and never showed up. One dignitary who made a point of including McLean on his itinerary was His Highness Bernhard, Duke of Saxe Weimar-Eisenach, who appears in Folsom’s diary:
    Tues. 2 Aug.
    Rose 5:45!!! Attend to B. very sick. the Asylum is this day visited by Duke Bernhard of Saxe Weymer, who arrived in a Dutch sloop of war at Boston, a day or two since—also by Mr. Quincy, Mayor, to whom I am introduced by Dr. Wyman.
    Aside from presenting an engaging portrait of life at McLean under the old regime, Folsom’s diary also contains numerous allusions to his own health problems and his vain attempts to cure them:
    Th. 26 May
    5:30 Walk—medicines &c. Sick,