Abstract
Moreau de Jonnès, in his statistical Documents on France, published in 1835, and in his Statistics of the Insane, recorded "idiocy" and "epilepsy" among the physical causes of insanity. In contrast, Parchappe held that "epilepsy" and "idiocy "constituted" in no way, real causes" of insanity. They were singular diseases, different from "madness". Their "cause" was "an imperfection of organization, and this is an essential cause", he emphasized, that was purely organic and physiological. During this quarrel, which occurred in 1843, Dr Parchappe wanted to make a clean sweep of medical data which did not differentiate sufficiently between the "moral" and "physical" causes of insanity.