Phillipe Pinel (1745-1826)

Phillipe Pinel is best known for his work in liberating the patients of the Bicêtre, the male insane asylum in Paris, and later its female counterpart, the Salpêtrière (photo above). He did these after becoming director in 1794.

He moved from the practices of bleeding, purging, blistering, and confinement with chains, to ones that were more open, involving friendly contact with the patient and purposeful activities. Chains and shackles were replaced with straightjackets as required.

This “moral treatment,” as it came to be called, would serve to end treatments that tried to cure demonic possession and start psychological approaches to care. He started keeping a history of each patient’s care and worked to improve the quality of workers at each institution.

Pinel also had a connection to “Victor the Wild Boy.” Pinel was the leading authority on mental illness in France at the time and was teacher to Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, the doctor who attempted to train Victor.

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