Johann Christian August Heinroth

Johann Christian August Heinroth (January 17, 1773 - October 26, 1843) was a German physician who was a native of Leipzig. In 1805 he received his medical doctorate from the University of Leipzig, and for most of his career was a university instructor at Leipzig. In 1827 he became a full professor of physical medicine.

Heinroth is remembered for seminal work done in the field of psychiatry, even though he was never officially a psychiatrist. His views on psychiatric thought have been described as a combination of anthropology and holistic medicine. He is credited for introducing the concept of psychosomatic illness. He believed that the soul had primacy over the body, and that the body and soul interacted in several ways. Consequently, mental sickness and many somatic illnesses are caused by the soul.

Heinroth regarded sin as a cause of mental illness. His description of sin came from a 19th century Protestant standpoint, and was also derived from an accepted European code of ethics and morality. His definition of sin wasn't based on a singular event, but rather as a period of several years of an individual striving towards earthly, bodily satisfaction. From a philosophical point of view, Heinroth espoused the teachings of Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803).

In his 1818 textbook "Störungen des Seelenlebens" he classified mental disorders into different categories. The three main categories were named the exaltations, the depressions and the "mixed states" ("Mischung") of exaltation and weakness. He further divided the mixed states category into subcategories called 'mixed mood disorders', 'mixed mental disorders' and 'mixed volition disorders'.

Selected writings

* "Beyträge zur Krankheitslehre" (Contributions to the study of illness) 1810
* "Störungen des Seelenlebens" (Disorders of the Soul, 1818)
* "System der psychisch-gerichtlichen Medizin" (A system of physical-forensic medicine, 1825)

References

* [http://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/35176/excerpt/9780521835176_excerpt.pdf Essay on Bipolar Disorders]