PSY240H1 Chapter Notes -Philippe Pinel, Mass Hysteria, Mass Psychogenic Illness
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PSY240H1 Full Course Notes
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Historical and contemporary views of abnormal behaviour: there have been many changes in how we treat psychological disorders. For those complaining of headaches or convulsive attacks, early shamans (medicine men) treated the disorder by means of an operation called trephining. An area of the skull was chipped away with a crude stone instrument until there was a hole in the skull. The opening is called a trephine: the trephine permitted evil spirits thought to be causing the pain to escape. In modern terms, it relieves pressure on the brain. There is evidence that people have survived the operation: ancient papyruses show some information on medical procedures. They often cover internal medicine and the circulatory system, but they rely heavily on incantations and magic for explaining or curing the diseases. Demonology, gods, and magic: early chinese, egyptians, hebrews, and greeks often attributed behaviour to possession.
