Philippe Pinel (1745 - 1826) he is one among the first, in modern times, to view people with mental illness as sick people rather than criminals, beasts, or possessed individuals. In the Asylums of which he was in charge, Pinel ordered that patients be unchained and treated with kindness in a peaceful atmosphere. Pinel was also responsible for many innovations in the treatment and understanding of mental illness.
Lexicon of Psychology - Terms, Treatments, Biographies,