An introduction to the Nathaniel Cotton Event on 11th June, 7.30 pm at the Octagon, St Peter's Church , St Peter's Street, St Albans. Nathaniel Cotton was an 18th Century pioneer in mental health, There will be an introduction to Nathaniel by Professor Tim Boatswain and then the main speaker, Dr Florian Ruths, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, London. His talk is entitled, From Melancholy to Depressive Illness - The Treatment of Depression across the Centuries: An event to commemorate and celebrate Dr Nathaniel Cotton. There is no charge but attendees are asked to donate to Blue Plaques St Albans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zFbi_vFsQQ
Back in March 2023, a blue plaque was installed for Dr Nathaniel Cotton. I have to admit until I was involved in establishing Blue Plaques St Albans I knew little about him. He was an 18th-century poet and a medical doctor, who was a pioneer in the treatment of mental health, developing an early form of clinical psychology at a time when many with mental illness were being locked up in appalling institutions like the notorious 'Bedlam', St Mary of Bethlehem Royal Hospital, in London.
Nathaniel's approach to mental health treatment emphasised kindness, understanding, and moral guidance rather than harsh disciplinary measures which were commonly used at the time. He advocated the humane treatment of mentally ill individuals and challenged the prevailing view that they were incurable.
Nathaniel established his sympathetic asylum, 'Collegium Insanorum' (a College for the Insane) in Lower Dagnall Street on what is now the corner with College Street (named after his institution), where you can find the blue plaque commemorating him on the original site.
With each blue plaque installed, I have attempted to find some expert to talk about the person who is being commemorated but it looked as if I would not be able to find someone to talk about Nathaniel. You can imagine my delight when a friend of mine who is a psychiatrist, Dr Florian Ruths offered to give a talk about the part Nathaniel played in the emergence of modern treatments for mental illness.
Florian is a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital in London. He is a specialist in the treatment of anxiety and depression, an accredited trainer in Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) which is a type of talking therapy. CBT includes Mindfulness-Based approaches, all of which are innovative treatments for depression. Florian will explain to us what works nowadays for mental health problems, what we have learnt over time and how Nathaniel Cotton taught us the empathy that modern services so desperately need.
We will hear about Nathaniel in his time, his revolutionary approach towards relieving mental illness, and what we can learn nowadays from his wisdom. We hope to make the event interactive, so that everyone can contribute their thoughts and perception of modern mental health services, while seeing them in the context of time and history.
Tim Boatswain,
Chair of Blue plaques St Albans
Programme:
Introduction: Who was Nathaniel Cotton? Prof Tim Boatswain
Keynote talk: From Melancholy to Depressive Illness: The Treatment of Depression across the centuries, Dr Florian Ruths
7.30 pm on 11th of June 2024,
The Octagon, St Peter’s Church, St Albans AL1 3HG St Peter's Street AL1 3HG
This is a fund-raising event for the voluntary body Blue Plaques St Albans.
Attendees are asked to donate £10 at the door
For further information: blueplaquesstalbans@gmail.com Mobile phone: 0787358607
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