Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 1401

SAMUEL TUKE (1784-1857) Description of the Retreat, an institution near York, for insane persons of the Society of Friends. Printed for W. Alexander 1813 xx [21]-227 [1] pp., [3] fold. plates (front.). 22.6 cm.

The Retreat at York was founded by Tuke's grandfather, William (1732-1822), in 1796 as a refuge and place of treatment for Quakers suffering from mental illnesses. Samuel, a Quaker philanthropist and local merchant served for many years as treasurer of the Retreat. It was Samuel's father Henry (1755-1814) who encouraged the preparation of this book, believing that it would be a useful guide for those caring for the mentally ill. Dedicated to William, the book is a history of the institution, a description of the building with its floor plans and surrounding gardens and orchards, and an explanation of the rationale for and description of the humane methods of treatment that were used. Minimal use of medications and restraints, an adequate diet, comfortable living conditions, personal counseling and, above all, occupational therapy in the form of useful work were the basic principles of this new and radical approach to the care of the insane. Several case histories with symptoms and treatment are also presented. Predictably, the methods and theory were attacked by the medical establishment in England as irrational and unsafe but the pioneering work of the Tuke family began a new era in the history of caring for the insane.

Cited references: Osler 6560; Waller 9712

Gift of John Martin, M.D.