Digital Objects

Portrait located in the Museum of History of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Gr. T. Popa”, Iași

Alexandru N. Brăescu was born on November 30, 1860, in Burdusaci, in the family of worthy and wealthy scholars, infused with the consciousness of their boyar descent. After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine in Iasi, he went to Paris in order to specialize. Here, he attends the courses at the Salpétrière Clinic, held by the famous neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. He is fascinated by the new ideas, which aimed to introduce an active therapy in mental illness and a social reintegration of these patients, until then considered criminals, ostracized and imprisoned in inhumane conditions. Between 1893 and 1900 he continued his scientific travels in Scotland, England, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, following with great interest the care of the mentally ill in these special establishments, which aimed at the social integration of patients. He returns to the country and in Iaşi he carries out a sustained activity of informing the authorities, of searching for funds, proving an extraordinary zeal and organizational fervor.

Source: https://www.viata-medicala.ro/cultura/istoria-permanenta-a-constiintei-9576

Alexandru N. Brăescu, remarkable pioneer of modern Romanian psychiatry, emblematic figure of the noble gallery of psychiatrists and doctors of great prestige in our country, creator of higher psychiatric education in Moldova and the most important founder of Socola in Iasi .
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An emblematic figure of Romanian psychiatry and medicine, Dr. Alexandru N. Brăescu, founder of medical establishments, art collector, polyglot and good connoisseur of modern therapeutic methods of his time, is evoked by CD Zeletin with admiration, in rigorously documented pages.

Source: https://www.viata-medicala.ro/cultura/istoria-permanenta-a-constiintei-9576