title: The history and present status of moral insanity.
abstract: Psychiatric taxonomies, always a little uncertain, are most confused and illogical when they endeavour to encompass the moral and legal aspects of human behaviour. The concept of moral insanity represented a step backwards when it came into being, but it has persisted for a century and a half, changing only its title. Its creation and its subsequent history exemplify some of the common errors in psychiatric theorising.
authors.affiliation: Northside Clinic, Greenwich NSW.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ellard
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense / Q000266:history*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000266:history*; D009014:Morals