Under That Calamity: A Narrative of the Treatment Experienced by a Gentleman during a State of Mental Derangement

by John Thomas Perceval, Lindsey Grubbs (Editor)

After experiencing auditory hallucinations, John Perceval was institutionalized against his will for three years. His memoir A Narrative of the Treatment Experienced by a Gentleman, During a State of Mental Derangement, was first published in 1838 in London with the aim of exposing the inhumane treatments inflicted on those who likewise suffered―in Perceval's words―“under that calamity.” Featuring annotation and perspectives from Lindsey Grubbs, a scholar of the cultural history and contemporary ethics of psychology and neuroscience, Under That Calamity offers a candid, humane look at nineteenth-century treatment of the mentally ill that still resonates in the present day.

Genres: Nonfiction

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1838

Reviews

[Owlseyes]

“In the year 1830, I was unfortunately deprived of the use of reason” (...)
“My soul survived that ruin”

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta relación de los tratamientos precarios a los que eran sometidos los enfermos mentales en la Inglaterra decimonónica es a ratos redundante (quizás por vicios de estilo comunes a su época), pero resulta muy ilustrativa sobre y ayuda a comprender el enorme puente tendido entre dos visiones médicas en menos de dos siglos, a la vez que refleja juicios sociales hoy medianemente erradicados.