Scope and Content: Under the Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (1879-1886) and the State Board of Lunacy and Charity (1886-1898), the Dept. of Outdoor Poor was responsible for adults in need of state medical or general assistance not committed to state institutions under the board’s jurisdiction and for juvenile wards of the state under three years of age.  When an infant was committed to the board, it was examined and treated by a medical officer of the department, and was often placed at the Massachusetts Infant Asylum (see: Massachusetts. Board of State Charities. Massachusetts Infant Asylum case histories, 1871-1879 (M-Ar) 541X)), or in a temporary home under the supervision of the board and its medical officers.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by first letter of surname
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