Jean-Baptiste Pussin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jean-Baptiste Pussin (1746-1811) was a French tanner who was born in Lons-le-Saunier. Pussin is remembered as a hospital worker at the Bicêtre in Paris who introduced the practice of humane treatment of the mentally insane.
In 1771 after being successfully treated for scrofula at Bicêtre Hospital, Pussin was recruited as a member of the hospital staff. In 1784 he attained the position as superintendent of the ward for mental patients, and in 1786 was assisted by his wife Marguerite. Pussin advocated humane treatment as well as a no-restraints policy for patients, which was an unheard-of practice at the time. He also maintained records regarding his empirical observations of patients and proposals aimed at therapy.
In 1793 he was visited at the Bicêtre by physician Philippe Pinel (1745-1826), who was impressed by Pussin's humane treatment of patients and the positive results he had achieved. Later when Pinel was assigned to the Salpêtrière Hospital, he arranged to have Pussin hired as a special assistant. In Pinel's 1801 Treatise on Insanity he acknowledges his indebtedness to Jean-Baptiste Pussin and Madame Pussin and their pioneer contributions to psychiatry.
