Joseph D'Aquin


Joseph D'Aquin was an early pioneer in the field of psychiatry.

Biography

Joseph D'Aquin was born in 1732 in Chambéry, in the duchy of Savoy, part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. He attended medical school at the University of Turin, where he graduated in 1757. He also studied at Montpellier and Paris. In 1791, he published a book entitled Philosophy of madness, which some consider the first book in the field of psychiatry. However, his recognition has been limited by the fact that Philippe Pinel never cited the work of Joseph D'Aquin in his famous medical and philosophical Traité médico-philosophique sur l'aliénation mentale; ou la manie published in 1801.

Literary works