Book Review: Encyclopedia of Asylum Therapeutics, 1750–1950s

Abstract

Therapeutics is defined as the treatment and care of a patient to both prevent and combat disease and injury in the online Encyclopedia Britannica. This encyclopedia is an attempt to gather many of the treatments applied in institutions for the mentally ill (insane), using the writings of proponents and practitioners of these treatments. While a few of the therapies described and documented in this encyclopedia appear to be humane and well intentioned (Hydrotherapy—beach bathing), many others appear to be punitive and even sadistic when compared to contradictory views at the times and definitely so in light of current modern understandings of mental illness. Some forms of hydrotherapy such as douche, drenching, mustard bath, etc. might be considered torture.