Skip to navigation – Site map

HomeNuméros47-1ArticlesFaire la biographie d’un charlatan ?

Articles

Faire la biographie d’un charlatan ?

Frère Hilarion, fondateur d’asiles d’aliénés au XIXe siècle
Olivier Bonnet

Abstracts

Joseph-Xavier Tissot (1780-1864), better known by the name of brother Hilarion, is a strange character who is mentioned in books on history of psychiatry or religious history. After a short stay at the Trappe d’Aiguebelle, he participated in reforming the order of Saint Jean de Dieu in France. Next, he founded numerous insane asylums before the 1838’s law was voted. He was presented by some authors as a precursor of the "alienist movement" because he led a difficult struggle in his writings to prevent the medical profession from appropriating psychiatric care. This medical charlatan, a whimsical character, left behind him many autobiographical writings which have allowed us to give him the title of "historical charlatan".

Top of page

References

Electronic reference

Olivier Bonnet, “Faire la biographie d’un charlatan ?”Cahiers d'histoire [Online], 47-1 | 2002, Online since 13 May 2009, connection on 29 March 2024. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/ch/442; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/ch.442

Top of page

About the author

Olivier Bonnet

Top of page

Copyright

The text and other elements (illustrations, imported files) are “All rights reserved”, unless otherwise stated.

Top of page
Search OpenEdition Search

You will be redirected to OpenEdition Search