Thomas Arnold (physician)
Thomas Arnold ( * 1742 in Leicester, † September 2, 1816 there ) was an English psychiatrist and reformer of the misleading nature.
Life
Thomas Arnold was born in Leicester, studied in Edinburgh and was a student of William Cullen (1710-1790) there. Arnold was a member of the Royal Medical College ( Royal College of Physicians ) and the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh ( Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh ). In 1794 he opened the public psychiatric hospital of > Leicester Lunatic Asylum ', after he had previously been owner of the third largest private mental hospital ( private madhouse ) in Leicester. For this purpose he had in public - as well as in newspaper articles - repeatedly pointed to the fact the national character of such facilities that were faced in 1774 corresponding to the area law and thus public responsibility.
Services
Erwin H. plowman honors Arnold, by presenting the books published by him as outstanding from the scope of the entire psychiatric movement in the 18th century, that is, along with works such as those of Battie, Perfect, and Harper. In particular, he has sought to find a new classification of mental diseases. Although Battie starts its first representative of the psychiatric work with a definition of insanity, but results for a single case study on. In contrast, Arnold's book with case studies based on its own experience of the author is richly endowed. - Klaus Dörner identifies the published in two volumes in 1782 and 1786 psychiatric textbook Arnolds as the second after Battie specific psychiatric work. Of course, it was not only purely scientific, but also political objectives in the author's institutionalization of private psychiatric facilities through establishment of public institutions. The fact that Arnold sought to influence public opinion, is, inter alia, also from the set in English on the title page of his textbook out, which includes a quotation from Epictetus. Its translation is: " People are not upset about the things themselves, but about the opinions they have of them. " It was beneficial both for Thomas Arnold, as well as for his teacher William Cullen when its more scientific findings by Arnold into practice have been implemented. Arnold joined the already existing previous knowledge of the English consultation psychiatry as they had been spread about by George Cheyne (1671-1743) approximately by the notion of quirks to make now the public debate attention to the problem of poor fools. Arnold joined in this way, the political economy of mental (industrial and animal Oeconomy ), the public ( external ) budget of the English industrial society with the inner social welfare.
The above-mentioned classification of mental diseases is derived from the combination of madness with the English whimsy and the hysteria shown above. The logical connection is made , inter alia, by the principles of the ' Moral Insanity ', the ' Medical Insanity ', the ' Pathetic Insanity ' and the ' appetitive Insanity <. Moral Insanity is regarded as the common basis of all people own disposition to affective mental fluctuations. The observance of the moral norm lies in the healthy middle and the avoidance of extremes. Only the extreme cases resulted in a > Medical Insanity <, thus a need for medical action. The moral side of this view is set out like even before Arnold by the general entrepreneurship and the associated willingness to take risks, which leads to wealth and luxury, and thus also to the size of the English nation. The downside would remain representative of the poor fools by paying the bill for this.
The theme of the passions, which must be considered for this era almost as obligatory wins in this context meaning. Already Zückert (1737-1778) had taken up the issue in 1768. This topic leads us to the internalization of romantic experiences and thus to a sphere of the body rather lifted psychological approach. Arnold emphasizes not only the affective character of madness as melancholic or manic variant in today generally accepted sense of the ambivalence of affectivity, but also points to the point of habit ( chronic ) as a condition of insanity back in the sense of independence of passions. The theme of passions also appears suitable, the > Pathetic Insanity < regarded as the cause of insanity that goes hand in hand with love, superstition, greed and despair. > Appetetive Insanity < come into consideration when the forced amorous longing there, which goes hand in hand with only a feigned modesty, but where law, religion and custom should hold each one of them. In short, it 'll be here doing enough needs that are not adequately under the circumstances.
Social History Assessment
Dörner shows the relationship of Moral Insanity and institutionalization of psychiatric facilities in a socio-historical context. The good taste, leading to terms such as Moral Insanity must be relatively considered historically and sociologically. It marks a new stage in the development of Western sensibility that leads away from rationalism towards the sensitivity and thus to disease phenomena. Even more clearly, this change is judged by Erich Neumann, when he speaks of the " collapse of the dark side."
Works
- Observations on the Nature, Kinds, Causes, and Prevention of Insanity, Lunacy, or Madness. London and Leicester, 1782, 1786 - Dt. Observations about nature.. Types, Causes and prevention of insanity or madness. Leipzig 1784th
- A Case of Hydrophobia successfully treated. 1793.
- Observations on the Management of the Insane. , 1809.