Désiré Bourneville: A Socialist in Charcot’s Inner Circle

Abstract

Désiré Bourneville was one of Jean-Martin Charcot’s most important disciples. His previous works as an alienist allowed him to influence his master’s interest in hysteria, which led to the creation of a service regarded as a neurological mecca. During his time under Charcot, Bourneville, a passionate left-wing radical, had to coexist with characters representative of the conservative, <i>bourgeois</i> Parisian society. The aim of this study is to describe Bourneville’s life and work, as well as the ambiguity of a progressive man such as him, immersed within the economic and cultural elites.