Magnan and the classification of psychiatric pathologies

Abstract

The Degeneration Theory had a large influence in the Psychiatry of the XIXth and XXth Centuries. This theory was articulated during the second half of the XIXth Century in France, primarily through the studies of Morel and his disciple, Valentin Magnan. We analyze here, the construction, consolidation and impact of this program of research using as a main reference, Magnan’s examinations of the Inherited Degenerative Disorders that were included in his classification of Psychiatric Diseases. This way of classifying the sufferings and behaviors made possible for small behavioral deviances, physical and psychic stigmas, and, to a lesser degree, insignificant delusions, to be considered as pathologies or as signals that announced mental alienation.