| The Treatment of the Insane Without Mechanical Restraints Contributor(s): Conolly, John (Author) |
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ISBN: 1108063330 ISBN-13: 9781108063333 Publisher: Cambridge University Press OUR PRICE: $46.54 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: November 2013 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Psychology | Psychopathology - General - Medical | History |
| Dewey: 362.210 |
| Series: Cambridge Library Collection - History of Medicine |
| Physical Information: 0.89" H x 5.5" W x 8.5" (1.11 lbs) 398 pages |
| Themes: - Topical - Mentally Challenged |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Trained as a physician and alienist (psychiatrist), John Conolly (1794-1866) first published this work in 1856. It describes the abolition of mechanical restraints in the treatment of mentally ill patients at the Hanwell County Asylum in Middlesex, where Conolly worked as resident physician. He argues for a system of non-restraint to be implemented as standard in all asylums, focusing on understanding patients as individuals and treating them with care and compassion. Conolly had introduced at Hanwell an innovative programme for patients that was based around positive activities, personal freedom, privacy, good-quality food, exercise, and, most importantly, the absence of any physical restraint. Though controversial at first, Conolly's enlightened methods and writings helped further the cause of humane treatment. This work remains a key text in the history of asylum reform and changing attitudes to mental illness. |