On the Fragility of Sanity: The Charenton Asylum in and out of Le Livre des cent-et-un

Abstract: Maurice Palluy, director of the Charenton asylum during the July Monarchy, introduced the asylum to the public in Paris, ou Le Livre des cent-et-un . Panoramic literature was particularly concerned with social and cultural categories, and Palluy’s installment is no exception. It extensively uses Étienne Esquirol’s nosography and medical classifications. However, Palluy’s depiction of madness and sanity invites readers to consider that categories may not be as stable as they appear. Although seemingly contradictory, both positions assert medical and administrative authority over all matters relating to mental illness. Palluy’s essay also makes a gesture typical of the classic panoramic literature of the period— it laments the loss of stable social landmarks— , questioning whether modern society can foster sanity outside of the asylum system. Both panoramic literature and the nascent psychiatry questioned the effects of modernity on social and individual identities.