Félix Voisin

Félix Voisin (1794-1872) was a French psychiatrist who practiced medicine in Paris. He was a disiciple of Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol (1772-1840), and a colleague of Jean-Pierre Falret (1794-1870). In 1822, he and Falret founded a private mental institution in Vanves. One of Voison's better known students was educator Édouard Séguin (1812-1880).

Voisin was a major advocate of the phrenological theories of Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) and Johann Spurzheim (1776-1832), and along with psychiatrist Louis Delasiauve (1804-1893), is considered to be one of the more prominent members in the French school of phrenology. Voison was particularly interested in the role phrenology could be used to understand the pathology of mental retardation and insanity. Voisin also did extensive research of satyriasis and nymphomania, and was interested in the relationship between hypersexuality and hysteria.

In his 1851 treatise Analyse de l'entendement humain (Analysis of Human Understanding), Voisin described three major facets of human functionality, which he referred to as moral, intellect and animal factions. These classifications predated, and in a general sense are a parallel to the Freudian concepts of superego, ego and id.

Selected writings

 * 1826- Des causes morales et physiques des maladies mentales.
 * 1839- De l’Homme animal.
 * 1847- Du traitement intelligent de la folie et application de quelques uns de ses principes a la reforme des criminels.
 * 1851 Analyse de l'entendement humain.

Reference

 * Masters of the Mind: Exploring the Story of Mental Illness; Theodore Milton