The late 1800’s and early 1900’s were a time of change, whether that change be in social norms, change in ideals or the always present change in medicine.  Silas Weir Mitchell was a pioneer in the latter category.  Mitchell was a well-known physician of the time who would develop a medical treatment deemed the “Rest Cure”.  Like many medical treatments of the time the true success or failure of the practice was not found out until later in its existence.  The time period around 1900 was a tough time for women in more ways than one, women had very few rights when it came to marriage and in turn this lack of power in marriage came in to play in nearly every medical interaction any married woman of the time faced.   Many of these challenges women faced were publicized by Charlotte Gilman in her “The Yellow Wallpaper”.  The publication by Gilman worked to help publicize and resolve many of the issues surrounding mental illness that plagued many people of the time.

Gilman who was actually prescribed a rest cure used her experience and the experiences of other women who received the treatment to create “The Yellow Wallpaper” and shed light on some of the devastating negative effects caused by the Rest Cure.  Charlotte Gilman’s persistence to expose the many problems of the popular Rest Cure and underlying issues in the domestic environment of the late 1800’s was essential to resolving the destruction of physical and mental health of women of the time.  Although the work of Gilman and Mitchell took place near the turn of the Century.  The problems brought up have connections to many aspects of modern life and medicine, whether it pertains to physical rest being prescribed and forced on by medical practitioners then and now to the social structure that women were better off being told exactly how to go about their lives by male figures.  The Yellow Wallpaper led the way to reforming mental health treatment.  

The unforeseen impact of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Gilman helped to reform the way mental health issues were handled and treated.  Throughout the progression of the story readers are able to witness the deterioration in the mental condition of the woman under order of the Rest Cure.  In the beginning of the piece there is “There comes John, and I must put this away, he hates to have me write a word.” (Gilman) with this it is apparent that the narrator still has near full mental capacity shown by her awareness of the situation of her husband’s wishes and orders.  In addition to her grasp of the situation the reader can see how the strict controls of the treatment and control brought on by her husband is affecting the way she goes about her life.  It can be seen how she shows so much concern over the possible punishment if caught writing or literal thought.  This concern shown by the narrator is due to the parameters of the rest cure treatment “Patients were sometimes prohibited from talking, reading, writing and even sewing.”(Allen, Oppenheim) aside from the physical limitations it would be the mental limitations that often produced the most detriment to the well-being of patients.

Later in “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator brings in how although resting constantly physically she is in the same state as if she labors constantly “Of course I didn't do a thing. Jennie sees to everything now.  But it tired me all the same.  John says if I don't pick up faster he shall send me to Weir Mitchell in the fall.  But I don't want to go there at all. I had a friend who was in his hands once, and she says he is just like John and my brother, only more so!”(Gilman) she brings in reference of Weir Mitchell who was the creator of the rest cure treatment and also explains how many of the male medical professionals of the time are extremely set in their ways varying none on the condition or wishes of their female patients.  

The issue of and treatment of mental illness brought up by Charlotte Gilman in “The Yellow Wallpaper”  although being written in the late 1800’s has many modern implications and many connections can be made between the way mental illness was treated well over a hundred years ago and how it is often treated in the present day.  It is all too often that medical professionals simple advise patients to purely rest as a way to cure all problems.  Many may say that rest is a great fix for health issues and yes this can be true if the concern is something like a simple cold or something minuscule.  The problems can arise when the issue is in the realm of mental health.  This concept of physical health being key to mental health was brought up by S. Weir Mitchell in the late 1800’s saying “Feeling good physically can, in many cases, restore optimism about one’s life in general.  Mitchell’s generalizations, however, were dangerously simplistic.”(Poirier 18) The idea that rest can cure everything hence the name “Rest Cure” is almost laughable yet it is still being used by many worldwide.  As well as rest often being recommended by medical personnel in modern times the societal acceptance that people in society have the ability to force specific treatments upon a person without fully understanding how said treatment can negatively affect the well-being of that person.  

Gilman further introduces the domestic power given to men specifically marital partners can not only hurt the quality of the marriage, but also break down the women of the time.  Earlier it was mentioned how the husband in many situations took full control of all situations with the absence of knowledge about their wives true feelings, physical and mental health.  Throughout the story the narrator is often undermined and spoken down upon by her husband simply because he feels as if he knows exactly what is best for her and she knows nothing.       

“The Yellow Wallpaper” introduced the detriment set on by the “Rest Cure” that was developed by S. Weir Mitchell.  The method although actually helping to relive the issues some patients faced, the treatment often destroyed the mental health that many women fought so hard to preserve.  The treatments “claim to fame” of rest curing all in turn also led to its destruction, the idea and subsequent implication of the treatment focused on 100% physical rest while also limiting mental stimulation to the lowest amount achievable led to great mental decline in many women prescribed the treatment.  The span of time in cases involving mental health and the way mental illness is treated has progressed greatly however the problem is when the mental illness is not recognized and treated properly, many who suffer from mental illness are afflicted much longer than they should because their very serious issue is never addressed properly.  The working of Charlotte Gilman pioneered the reform in treatment of mental illness and exposed how dangerous it can be if not treated with appropriate measures.   

 