Pinel was one of the founders of modern psychiatry, as well as a distinguished teacher of internal medicine. His innovations in treating mentally ill patients were so stirring and profound that his ideas are still followed today.

Pinel was born on April 20, 1745 at Saint André, in southern France. His relatives on both sides of his family were physicians and surgeons. In college, he first studied literature before changing to religion. In April, 1770, he abandoned his religion classes at the University of Toulouse and enrolled in the college of medicine. He received his M.D. degree on December 21, 1773. In 1774, Pinel went to Montpellier, where he taught mathematics and anatomy, wrote theses for the lazy, rich students, and observed the practice of medicine. In 1778, he moved to Paris, where he edited a health journal, wrote articles for several publications, and translated English medical and scientific works into French.

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