Roland Kuhn (4 March 1912 – 10 October 2005) was a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internati ...

psychiatrist who discovered that the drug

imipramine Imipramine, sold under the brand name Tofranil, among others, is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) mainly used in the treatment of depression. It is also effective in treating anxiety and panic disorder. The drug is also used to treat bedwetting. ...

had

antidepressant Antidepressants are a class of medication used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain conditions, and to help manage addictions. Common side-effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness ...

properties. he was born in

Biel Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; , ) is a town and a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Biel/Bienne lies on the language boundary between the French-speaking and German-spea ...

and died in Scherzingen. In 1957, Kuhn published the results of his observations of the antidepressant properties of Imipramine in the Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift (Swiss Weekly Medical Journal). More recently, it was discovered that he tested drugs on patients and children without

informed consent Informed consent is a principle in medical ethics and medical law, that a patient must have sufficient information and understanding before making decisions about their medical care. Pertinent information may include risks and benefits of treatm ...

and without proper approval by the authorities during his time at the psychiatric hospital in Münsterlingen (where he was director 1971–1980), a practice that is highly unethical. Kuhn studied medicine in

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS) ...

, and moved into psychiatry as a second choice of specialty. He trained under

Jakob Klaesi Jakob Klaesi (29 May 1883 – 17 August 1980) was a Swiss psychiatrist most notable for his contributions to the sleep therapyBangen, Hans: Geschichte der medikamentösen Therapie der Schizophrenie. Berlin 1992, Dauernarkose oder Sc ...

, the inventor of sleep therapy.

Personal life

He was married to Verena Gebhart. They had three daughters, Regula, Beatrix, and Ursula.

Honours

Doctor of medicine in

Honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...

from

Université catholique de Louvain The Université catholique de Louvain (also known as the Catholic University of Louvain, the English translation of its French name, and the University of Louvain, its official English name) is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It ...

and

University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universitie ...

Doctor of philosophy in honoris causa from

Sorbonne University Sorbonne University (french: Sorbonne Université; la Sorbonne: 'the Sorbonne') is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de So ...

References

1912 births 2005 deaths Daseinsanalysis Psychotherapists Swiss psychiatrists People from Biel/Bienne {{psychiatrist-stub