PARANOIA: A Pathogenic Essay on Systematized Delusions

A rare nineteenth-century psychiatric classic, now presented in English for modern readers.In Paranoia, Portuguese physician and psychiatrist Júlio de Matos offers a rigorous historical and critical examination of one of the most debated concepts in nineteenth-century psychiatry. Moving across French, German, Italian, English, American, and Russian medical literature, Matos studies the evolution of paranoia as a diagnostic category, tracing its relationship to chronic delusion, hallucination, obsession, degeneration, reasoning, and the broader classification of mental illness.Originally published in an era when psychiatry was still defining its scientific vocabulary, this work captures a crucial moment in the history of mental medicine. Matos engages with major figures such as Morel, Magnan, Kraepelin, Lasègue, Falret, Tanzi, Riva, and others, comparing competing theories and terminology while developing his own critical position.This English edition is designed for readers interested in the history of psychiatry, psychology, medical humanities, nineteenth-century science, and the intellectual history of mental illness. It preserves the technical and historical character of the original while making the text accessible to contemporary English-language readers.A valuable source for scholars, students, clinicians, historians, and readers of classic medical literature, Paranoia offers a window into the foundations of modern psychiatric thought.

Pagina's: 169, Paperback, Independently published