Philippe PINEL. L.A.S., Paris, December 10, 1811; 3 pages, i - Lot 202

Philippe PINEL. L.A.S., Paris, December 10, 1811; 3 pages, in-8. A rare consultation regarding a young woman suffering from mental illness. Pinel believes that she has “already experienced various precursors of a loss of reason […] one has also noted a preoccupation with certain ideas and a desire for solitude following a role she played in a social play; shortly thereafter, she began experiencing headaches, loss of appetite, constipation, and then a sort of apathy […] Everything therefore indicates that the mental disorder is progressing gradually, and it is to be feared that at the slightest opportunity it will fully manifest itself if no obstacle is placed in its way.” He recommends isolation from the family, a trip, or a stay at “a boarding house where such illnesses are treated with all necessary care.” If the family wishes to keep her at home, he advises warm foot baths in the evening, tart beverages, and a special diet; and lukewarm baths once the constipation has subsided… Enclosed is a manuscript addressed to Pinel: “Excerpt from the Plan for a Medical Institute for the Kingdom of Naples, by Louis Chiaverini, Professor of Medicine” (3 pp., in-8).