Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 1049.7

THOMAS ARNOLD (1742-1816) Thomas Arnolds Beobachtungen über die Natur, Arten, Ursachen und Verhütung des Wahnsinns oder der Tollheit. bey F.G. Jacobäer und Sohn 1784-1788 22 cm.

Arnold studied under William Cullen (901) and Alexander Monro (282.5) at Edinburgh University where he received his M.D. in 1766. In this same year he took over his father’s mad-house. This is his principle medical work, Observations on the Nature, Kinds, Causes, and Prevention of Insanity, Lunacy, or Madness, translated into German. Rather than using the traditional humoral approach, Arnold bases his idea on Locke separating disordered sensations from disordered reasoning. He pioneered a new approach to treating insanity based on observed symptoms, but the classification system was too detailed to be practical. Arnold is also part of the shift towards moral treatment of the insane. He and Samuel Tuke believed patients should be treated more like children than dangerous brutes and that physical restraints should only be used on violent patients.

Cited references: Wellcome II, p. 59 (1st ed.)