Psychiatry
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The other founding fathers: the SUPERINTENDENTS of insanity
Picture this: While the rest of America was busy manifesting destiny, these thirteen madcap mind-menders were cooking up a scheme to rule the nation’s noggins. They met in Philadelphia, because… Read more.
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Benjamin Rush: The Founding Father of American Psychiatry
Benjamin Rush (1746-1813) wasn’t just a signer of the Declaration of Independence; he was also a pioneering physician who laid the groundwork for modern psychiatry in America. Born near Philadelphia to… Read more.
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The Goldwater Rule: A Tale of Psychiatric Scandals and Ethics
This is the tale of the Goldwater Rule that proves sometimes the doctors are crazier than the patients! In the sweltering summer of 1964, the psychiatric community found itself at… Read more.
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Johann Christian Reil: The Mad Genius Who Coined “Psychiatry”
Johann Christian Reil (1759–1813) wasn’t your average 18th-century doctor. He was the kind of guy who looked at the chaos of the human mind and thought, “You know what this… Read more.
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Donald Ewen Cameron: The Man Who Put the “Shock” in Shock Therapy
Buckle up, buttercups, for the wild ride that is Donald Ewen Cameron. Born in 1901 in Scotland, little Donnie Cameron grew up dreaming of being a doctor. But why cure… Read more.
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Egas Moniz: The Controversial Father of Psychosurgery
António Caetano de Abreu Freire Egas Moniz (1874-1955) was a Portuguese neurologist who left an indelible, if controversial, mark on the field of psychiatry. Born in Avanca, Portugal, Moniz studied… Read more.
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Thorazine: chemical straitjacket
This is the absolutely bonkers tale of Thorazine, the wonder drug that turned mental hospitals into zombie discos! Picture this: It’s the 1950s, and French scientists are busy cooking up… Read more.
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The Merry-go-round from hell for the mentally unstable
Picture this: It’s 1810, and ol’ Benny Rush, fresh off his success with the Tranquilizing Chair, thinks to himself, “You know what would really cure madness? A merry-go-round from hell!”… Read more.
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Sensory Deprivation toilet chair for the Mentally Unstable
Imagine walking into a room and seeing a contraption that looks like a cross between a medieval torture rack and a porta-potty. Welcome to Benjamin Rush’s Tranquilizing Chair, the 18th… Read more.
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The mental illness where former slaves say get off my lawn
Picture this: It’s 1851, and Dr. Samuel A. Cartwright, fresh off his groundbreaking discovery of drapetomania, has stumbled upon another “totally legit” medical condition. Behold, Dysaesthesia aethiopica – the malady… Read more.
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