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= London Psychiatric Hospital = The London Psychiatric Hospital, also known as Regional Health Care London, The Ontario Hospital London, and The London Asylum for the Insane, was a psychiatric hospital, which consisted of 23 buildings spread over 300-acres, located in London, Ontario, Canada. It was designed by London architect Thomas H. Tracy, who took design inspiration from Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride's Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital. The London Psychiatric Hospital officially opened its doors in 1870 under the supervision of Henry Landor.

Although the hospital experienced some controversy under its second superintendent Richard Maurice Bucke, it was overall accredited for utilizing a moral therapy based system, which sanctioned the use of more humane treatments. This was seen as very progressive for its time.

Dr. Henry Landor
Henry Landor was the head superintendent at the London Psychiatric Hospital up until his death in 1877. Initially, under Landor's instruction, the hospital was designed in a farm-like system with each male patient assisting in the farming of produce and each female patient assisting with chores such as sewing, cooking, and cleaning. He believed this would be therapeutic as it encouraged personal freedom, as well as shared activity, between the patients. This moral therapy technique was also used as a means to integrate the patients back into "regular" society.

While there, Landor was able to convince the Province of Ontario to purchase an additional 100-acres of property in the east-side of London. This land was used to build more comfortable living accommodations for his long-term patients.

Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke
Between 1877 and 1902, Richard Maurice Bucke was superintendent at the London Psychiatric Hospital—marking him as the hospital's longest running superintendent. Similarly to Landor, Bucke used moral therapy as a way to reintegrate his patients back into "regular" society. Throughout the years, he implemented an open door policy for his patients, as well as advocated for the eradication of the use of alcohol and mechanical restraints as a form of punishment.

However, during Bucke's time at the hospital, he was known for performing experimental surgeries on many of his patients. Believing that hysteria in women was accredited to a problem with their reproductive organs, Bucke attempted to reinstate their sanity by personally performing over 200 separate hysterectomies. Additionally, Bucke believed that a leading symptom of insanity in men was masturbation. As a result of this, if a patient was caught masturbating, Bucke would surgically insert a metal wire into the patient's foreskin. This made it impossible for them to masturbate without injury.

Modern history and present day
In 1995, the London Psychiatric Hospital and St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital were merged under one administration. Then, in 2001, the St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital was transferred to the governance of St. Joseph's Hospital and was renamed the Regional Mental Health Care London. In 2014, the hospital was closed down and abandoned shortly after.

On January 17, 2019, the Ontario Government announced that they had sold the 160-acre property to London developer Old Oak Properties for $17 million. A plan to transform the land into residential, transit, heritage, and educational spaces had also been approved.

Demolition
Due to overcrowding in the hospital, many of the original hospital buildings were demolished over the years to create space for larger ones. The horse stable, the church, and the infirmary are the only original buildings that still remain. These three buildings are all protected by the Ontario Heritage Trust.