Antoine-Athanase Royer-Collard (7 February 1768 – 27 November 1825) was a French physician and

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

. He was a younger brother to

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard Pierre Paul Royer-Collard (; 21 June 1763 – 2 September 1845) was a French statesman and philosopher, leader of the Doctrinaires group during the Bourbon Restoration (1814–1830). Biography Early life He was born at Sompuis, near Vitry-le-F ...

(1763–1845). Royer-Collard was born in Sompuis. He studied medicine in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, and in 1802 received his doctorate with a dissertation on

amenorrhea Amenorrhea or amenorrhoea is the absence of a menstrual period in a female organism who has reached reproductive age. Physiological states of amenorrhoea are most commonly seen during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding). In humans, it is wher ...

("''Essai sur l'aménorrhée, ou suppression du flux menstruel''").Antoine-Athanase Royer-Collard
Histoire de la psychiatrie en France In 1806, he was named chief physician at the Charenton mental asylum, and in 1816 became a professor of

forensic medicine Forensic medicine is a broad term used to describe a group of medical specialties which deal with the examination and diagnosis of individuals who have been injured by or who have died because of external or unnatural causes such as poisoning, assa ...

at the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

. In 1819, he was appointed to the first chair of ''médecine mentale''. Among his better known students were Antoine Laurent Bayle and Louis-Florentin Calmeil. In 1803, he founded the periodical "''Bibliothèque médicale''". In 1820, he was elected a member of the

Académie de médecine An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

. After his death at Paris in 1825, his position at the Charenton was filled by Jean-Etienne-Dominique Esquirol. One of his famous patients at the Charenton was

Donatien Alphonse François de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade ( ; ; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814) was a French writer, libertine, political activist and nobleman best known for his libertine novels and imprisonment for sex crimes, blasphemy and pornograph ...

(1740–1814), better known as Marquis de Sade, who spent the last eleven years of his life incarcerated at the asylum. Royer-Collard protested against de Sade's imprisonment at the Charenton, believing him to be sane, and asked that he be placed in a conventional prison.

Fictional portrayals

A heavily fictionalized version of Royer-Collard serves as the main antagonist of the play '' Quills'' by

Doug Wright Douglas Wright (born December 20, 1962) is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Known for his extensive work in the American theatre in both plays and musicals, he has received numerous accolades including the Pulitzer Prize an ...

. He is portrayed as the cruel administrator of Charenton Asylum and jailer of the

Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade ( ; ; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814) was a French writer, libertine, political activist and nobleman best known for his libertine novels and imprisonment for sex crimes, blasphemy and pornography ...

, who tortures de Sade as punishment for smuggling his writing out of the hospital and causing disruption among the other patients. In the 2000 film adaptation of the play, Royer-Collard is portrayed by

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Royer-Collard, Antoine-Athanase 1768 births 1825 deaths French psychiatrists 19th-century French physicians 18th-century French physicians Academic staff of the University of Paris People from Marne (department)