HLTHAGE 2G03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Philippe Pinel, Avicenna, The Retreat
2 Aug 2016
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Madness mental illness (birth of mental illness as a concept) Strange and deviant behaviour hasn"t always been understood in health terms (ie. god"s wrath, phases of the moon, spirits) Treatment/conception of mentally ill does not necessarily fit simply story of medical progress. Earliest recording from 2nd c. bce, potentially mania, depression, and delusions. Hippocrates and galen situated madness in brain. Revived by islamic scholars (al-razi, ibn sina), treatment wards for mad found across muslim world. In christian europe, some cited spiritual basis for madness, others argued for imbalance of humours (biological) Some witches and madmes (especially dangerous) burnt at stake, etc others treated through prayer, bloodletting, whipping, etc yet most stayed with family. Practice continued in some places until nineteenth century (and beyond) Est. of bethlem hospital in 14th c. Henry viii later assigned it primarily for madness, already going by the name. Marks rising interest in madness, literary trope by 16th c. becomes oft-used topic of ballads and songs.
