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Legacy

The field of Irish asylum medicine was greatly influenced by Dr Eveleen O'Brien (1901–1981), especially in the area where neurology and psychiatry met. She was born in Sligo's Tubbercurry County in 1901, studied at University College Dublin (UCD), and received her medical degree there in 1924. Her medical career developed in the context of the 1930s Irish asylum system's growth. O'Brien's work at Grangegorman Mental Hospital and her following tenure as the Governor of the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, from 1968 to 1971, constitute the main focus of her noteworthy contributions to the discipline of psychiatry. (Irish Division, 1935). Her studies on epilepsy led her to produce groundbreaking articles, including the first systematic review of insulin therapy in Ireland in 1939. Her research on red blood cell sedimentation rate gave insight into the physical conditions of asylum patients, leading to difficulties in diagnosis due to a lack of patient cooperation. (O’Callaghan, A.K. & Kelly, B.D. 2019). O'Brien received her doctorate in medicine in 1942 from the National University of Ireland, where she researched the historical beliefs and therapeutic outcomes related to epilepsy. Her studies covered a wide range of hypotheses, like intravascular coagulation, toxicity, psychogenic variables, and cortical instability. O'Brien's comprehensive method, involving medication therapies and sanitary regimens, brought to light the intricacy of treating epilepsy in the 20th century. (Irish Division 1933). Her professional pursuits, O'Brien campaigned for patients, with epilepsy, in the harsh circumstances in Irish asylums from 1930 to 1966. Her time as the governor of the Central Mental Hospital demonstrated her dedication to bettering the lives of those who suffer from mental illness. (O’Brien E 1939).As she became older, O'Brien kept her impact on mental health services by advising and assisting her successors. Interestingly, she never got married and lived with labour and political activist Helena Molony. O'Brien's inheritance, which left a portion of her assets to organisations that help older, single women in Ireland, is proof of her continuing concern for the underprivileged. Her contributions to science, clinical treatment, and advocacy for the underprivileged are perpetuated by her legacy.

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