| PEROD OF STAGNATION
AND TURNING POINT ( XVI, XVII and XVIII century)
Humanism
and Renaissance seem the way back to the classical view
of the world. Mental illness was explained in the same
way as it was done by old - Greek and old-Roman
philosophers and scientists. However, the influence
of the medieval ideas was very stong.
In the next century happened bourgeois revolution, philosophical
theories were changed, but attitude to mentally disturbed
persons was not changed in essence. They were still
persons who were unworthy of humaneness. It has remained
known the monastery Saint Maria of Bethlehem in France
which served as a shelter for mentally disturbed persons.
From time to time in this monastery were organized "exhibitions"
of mentally disturbed persons and people paid a lot
of money to see them. On the other hand, a doctor visited
them once in ten years. XVIIIcentury was the time when
equality and freedom were propagandized. In the field
of psychiatry for the first time happened something
positive - it was initiated the reform of mental hospital,
but the attitude to mental patients was not changed.
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Philippe
Pinel in the yard of Parisian hospital Salpatriere
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Finally, Philippe Pinel, at the
end of this century, introduced important changes to
the treatment of mentally disturbed persons.After three
centuries it was introduced humane treatment. Pinel,
who was a manager of Parisian mental hospital, took
off chains from these people, he moved them from dark,
dirty cells to clean, tidy rooms. This infuriated his
colleagues so much that Pinel was declared to be madman.
However, his approach, known as "moral therapy"resulted
in success.Improvement was about 70 %.Till Pinel in
psychiatry reigned so-called " therapeutic nihilism.
According to this principle every mentally disturbed
person was regarded as " lost case". Many
psychiatrists rejected this principle, Pinel was their
model. Unfortunately, Pinel's reforms has not been finished
completely.
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