Treating Mental Illness in the 19th Century

Speaker: John Langdon

Superintendents of 19th Century mental hospitals struggled to treat illnesses they did not understand. In theory, the approach of Moral Treatment was humane and promising. In practice, clinical tools were limited and the lack of resources negated their effectiveness.

John Langdon is Professor Emeritus of Biology and Anthropology, University of Indianapolis. He has broad interests in human biology, history of science, and general history.