A humanistic gift from the Brazilian Emperor D. Pedro II (1825 - 1891) to the Brazilian nation: the first lunatic asylum in Latin America

Abstract

Until the beginning of the 19th century, psychiatric patients did not receive specialized treatment. The problem that was posed by the presence of psychiatric patients in the Santas Casas de Misericórdia and the social pressure from this issue culminated in a Decree of the Brazilian

One hundred thirty years of Dom Pedro II’s death: “The emperor of the tropics” and the beginning of Brazilian Psychiatry

“…Among the streets population were beggars, vagabonds, drunkards, and insane people 4 . Before medical and social transformations, these people were arrested only when aggressive; after, however, they started to be divided into two groups: the ones who needed health support and the ones who did not 7 . The group identified as patients (drunkards, insane people) was sent to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro.…”

“…Adding the social context to the medical background, some medical personalities such as José Martins da Cruz Jobim (1802-1878), José Francisco Xavier Sigaud (1796-1856) and Luís Vicente de Simoni (1792-1881) claimed that it was necessary to have an asylum to address the psychiatric patients to 9 . In this context, Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro represented by José Clemente Pereira (1787-1854) donated an area at Saudade Beach to build the future Pedro II Asylum 7 . That time he was the provider's institution and had a central role since this donation to preserv the church influence in the Pedro II Asylum's administration 4 .…”

One hundred and twenty years from the former ‘Pavilion for Clinical Observation' to the National Lunatic Asylum, later Institute of Psychiatry – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

“…It was based on the influence of French alienism as a space for the screening and evaluation of possible mental illness and the forwarding of patients so diagnosed to the National Lunatic Asylum. 1 It was officially created by the Federal Brazilian Decree number 1559 of October 1893 in order to assess the appropriate disposal of suspects sent by the police. 2 The National Lunatic Asylum, founded in 1852, 1 was already overcrowded and stricter patient selection became necessary.…”

“…As such the unit was clearly considered to be an extension of the National Lunatic Asylum. 1,4 The average time to formulate an accurate diagnosis was 15 days. However, the patients who aroused scientific interest were selected and served as a source of study, and remained there for as long as the Professor considered necessary.…”

“…1 It was officially created by the Federal Brazilian Decree number 1559 of October 1893 in order to assess the appropriate disposal of suspects sent by the police. 2 The National Lunatic Asylum, founded in 1852, 1 was already overcrowded and stricter patient selection became necessary.

Figure 1.The Pavilion for Clinical Observation in its inauguration in May 1894.

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