The traveling alienists

IF 0.5 4区医学 Q4 PSYCHIATRY

Annales medico-psychologiques Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2025-08-13 DOI:10.1016/j.amp.2025.07.004

Emmanuel Drouin , Marion Hendrickx

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This article retraces the history of the “travelling alienists” – 19th-century psychiatrists such as Esquirol and Guislain – who helped to humanize psychiatry by observing and comparing practices abroad. A student of Pinel, Esquirol prescribed therapeutic journeys for wealthy patients, entrusting them to young doctors tasked with studying the asylums they visited. This approach allowed for the collection of data and led to reform proposals, particularly regarding the inhumane conditions of confinement. The Belgian village of Gheel, where mentally ill individuals lived freely in families, deeply influenced French psychiatrists and inspired the creation of family colonies. The article also discusses “mad travellers,” patients suffering from delusions of persecution or pathological wandering, who fascinated figures like Tissié and Charcot. In conclusion, the authors highlight the relevance of the travelling alienists’ legacy: their humanistic and open approach contrasts with today's more technical and security-driven psychiatry. They call for a reinvention of the French sector-based model while preserving the dignity and individuality of patients.

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旅行的外星人

这篇文章追溯了“旅行的外星人”的历史——19世纪的精神病学家，如埃斯基罗尔和古斯兰——他们通过观察和比较国外的实践，帮助精神病学人性化。埃斯基罗尔是皮内尔的学生，他为富有的病人安排治疗之旅，把他们委托给年轻的医生，负责研究他们去过的精神病院。这种方法可以收集数据，并提出改革建议，特别是关于非人道监禁条件的改革建议。在比利时的吉尔村，精神病患者在家庭中自由地生活，对法国精神病学家产生了深远的影响，并激发了家庭殖民地的创建。这篇文章还讨论了“疯狂的旅行者”，即患有受迫害妄想或病态流浪的病人，他们吸引了像蒂西格尔和夏科这样的人物。最后，作者强调了旅行外星人遗产的相关性：他们的人文主义和开放的方法与今天更技术化和安全驱动的精神病学形成鲜明对比。他们呼吁在保留病人尊严和个性的同时，重塑法国以部门为基础的模式。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Annales medico-psychologiques 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

1.30

自引率

33.30%

发文量

196

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： The Annales Médico-Psychologiques is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering the field of psychiatry. Articles are published in French or in English. The journal was established in 1843 and is published by Elsevier on behalf of the Société Médico-Psychologique. The journal publishes 10 times a year original articles covering biological, genetic, psychological, forensic and cultural issues relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, as well as peer reviewed articles that have been presented and discussed during meetings of the Société Médico-Psychologique.To report on the major currents of thought of contemporary psychiatry, and to publish clinical and biological research of international standard, these are the aims of the Annales Médico-Psychologiques.