Bicêtre Hospital
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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It is located in Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, which is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 4.5 km. (2.8 miles) from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. The Bicêtre Hospital was originally planned as a military hospital, with construction begun in 1634. With the help of Vincent de Paul, it was finally opened as an orphanage in 1642. It was incorporated into the Hôpital Général in 1656. In 1823, it was called the Hospice de la Vieillesse Hommes. In 1885, it was renamed the Hospice de Bicêtre. In its history it has been used successively and simultaneously as an orphanage, a prison, a lunatic asylum (see Psychiatric hospital) and a hospital. Its most notorious guest was .
The Bicêtre is most famous as the Asylum de Bicêtre where Superintendent Philippe Pinel is credited as being the first to introduce humane methods into the treatment of the mentally ill, in 1793.
The Bicêtre is referenced in The Birth of the Asylum from Foucault's Madness and Civilization. In it, Pinel's methods are classified as more devious than humane.
From March 14 until April 27, 1803, Sade is an inmate at Bicêtre.
See also