Sam, If you ever locate this rule, please let us all know. What a valuable resource. thanks, betty in ga ----- Original Message ----- From: "sam.west" <sam.west@ncmail.net> To: <NCROBESO@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:17 AM Subject: [NCROBESO] RECORDS OF DIX HILL > Hi, > > I know that the Federal Government will not release censuses until 72 > years > after the census was taken in order to guard the personal and medical > information which it contains, i.e. diagnoses like "lunatic", "idiot", > etc.... > > My question is what about the records of state hospitals like Doretha Dix > which dates back to the 1800s. I work in the > Public Health field and have seen some older "social evaluations" of some > patients. These Social Evaluations go into great detail, i.e. giving > names > of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc... giving social > economical information and telling about the environment in which they > lived > [a pot of gold for genealogist]. Now I know that these mental health > records are under a protected class of records due to their sensitive > nature, but what I would like to know is will they ever age out as the > census records does and then become available for research??? > > I have been told that one of my early relatives was admitted to Doretha > Dix > Hospital back in the middle 1800s, and if I could at least get hold of > copies of the social evaluations, then maybe some of my unanswered > questions > could be answered. Also, I am sure that they would have information on > those inmates who died on the Hill back in the 1800s as well. Who knows, > maybe it will help me understand why I am a Genealogy Nut! > > Think about, help if you can! > > Sam West > Lumberton, Robeson Co NC > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NCROBESO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >