Shock and commotion
The use of water to treat illness is a practice of great antiquity, appearing in the works of ancient Greek and Roman physicians. It was prescribed for muscle fatigue and similar ailments, but also for the treatment of mental derangement arising from bodily disorders like rabies and high fevers. This exhibit explores the development and use of hydrotherapy in the treatment of mental disorders.
Treatment by 'shock and commotion' came early in the history of psychiatry. A method of producing shock usque ad deliquum, to the brink of death, was the ducking treatment to 'suffocate the mad Ideas' advocated by the celebrated J.B. van Helmont (1577-1644), as reported in this book by his son. Helmont believed that the 'too violent and exhorbitant Operation of the fiery Life' required extinction with water. Patients were suspended head first under water until they were unconscious, after which they were revived, if possible, and presumably cured.
