Volume - The Clarence Darrow Collection

THE FINAL STRUGGLE AND VICTORY OF SCIENCE. 131
By great good fortune, the man selected to lead in the
movement was one who had already thrown his heart into
it Jean Baptiste Pinel. In 1792 Pinel was made physician
at BicStre, one of the most extensive lunatic asylums in
France, and to the work there imposed upon him he gave
all his powers. Little was heard of him at first. The most
terrible scenes of the French Revolution were drawing
nigh ; but he laboured on, modestly and devotedly appar-
ently without a thought of the great political storm about him.
raging
His first step was to discard utterly the whole theological
doctrine of " possession," and especially the idea that
insanity is the result of any subtle spiritual influence. He
simply put in practice the theory that is lunacy the result
of bodily disease.
It is a curious matter for reflection, that but for this sway
of the destructive philosophy of the eighteenth century, and
of the Terrorists during the French Revolution, Pinel's
blessed work would in all probability have been thwarted,
and he himself excommunicated for heresy and driven from
his position. Doubtless the same efforts would have been put
forth against him which the Church, a little earlier, had put
forth against inoculation as a remedy for ; smallpox but
just at that time the great churchmen had other things to
think of besides crushing this particular heretic : they were
too much occupied in keeping their own heads from the
guillotine to give attention to what was passing in the head
of Pinel. He was allowed to work in peace, and in a short
time the reign of diabolism at Bicetre was ended. What
the exorcisms and fetiches and prayers and processions, and
drinking of holy water, and ringing of bells, had been unable
to accomplish during eighteen hundred years, he achieved
in a few months. His method was simple : for the brutality
and cruelty which had prevailed up to that time, he sub-
stituted kindness and gentleness. The possessed were taken
out of their dungeons, given sunny rooms, and allowed the
for exercise chains were thrown
liberty of pleasant ground ;
aside. At the same time, the mental power of each patient
was developed by its fitting exercise, and disease was met
with remedies sanctioned by experiment, observation, and