Die Sinnesdelirien. Ein Versuch ihrer physio-psychologischen Begründung und klinischen Darstellung. Dr. med. R. v. Krafft-Ebing.
Erlangen: Verlag von Ferdinand Enke, 1864. First edition. In publisher’s printed wrappers. VIII 58 p. Deaccession stamp of the Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen on the front cover. Wrappers worn, rear cover detached. Foxing throughout. Otherwise in very good condition.
Krafft-Ebing’s first published work: his scarce doctoral thesis on hallucinations and illusions.
Dr. Richard von Krafft-Ebing’s Die Sinnesdelirien (1864) is his first work to appear in print and a pioneering study of hallucinations and sensory delusions. Examining these phenomena through a physiological and psychological lens, Krafft-Ebing moves away from earlier metaphysical explanations, instead analyzing hallucinations as neurological events. He differentiates hallucinations (internally generated false perceptions) from illusions (misinterpretations of real stimuli) and explores their role in mental illness, intoxication, and sensory deprivation. He also highlights their forensic significance, noting that hallucinations can lead to self-harm or criminal behavior.
This dissertation, completed at the University of Heidelberg in 1863, reflects Krafft-Ebing’s early commitment to grounding psychiatric phenomena in empirical science. His approach laid the foundation for future studies on psychosis and forensic psychiatry, helping to establish a more scientific and clinical framework for mental health research.
Born in 1840 in Mannheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, Krafft-Ebing worked as an assistant at the Illenau mental hospital under Christian Roller, gaining firsthand experience in the treatment of mental and neurological disorders. He later held academic positions in Strasbourg, Graz, and Vienna, making significant contributions to the advancement of psychiatry. He is best known for Psychopathia Sexualis (1886), a foundational text in sexual pathology, which influenced psychiatric, legal, and social debates on mental illness, degeneracy, and criminal behavior.
As Krafft-Ebing’s first published work, Die Sinnesdelirien marks the beginning of his scientific contributions to psychiatry, introducing methods that would shape later psychiatric research.
Extremely scarce, with no recorded copies on RBH. WorldCat identifies only five copies in institutional holdings.
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Price: €4,000.00