BERILLON (Edgar) - Lot 37

BERILLON (Edgar) Saint-Fargeau, 1859–1948. French psychiatrist. Autograph letter signed “E. Berillon,” addressed to “My dear student.” Paris, September 7, 1935. 1 page, in-8 format. Letterhead bearing his name and address. An interesting professional letter in which psychiatrist Edgar Berillon responds to a student seeking his advice. He expresses his willingness to meet with her and favors direct dialogue over abstract reflection, in an approach that is very characteristic of clinical practice: “In response to your request, I am willing to give you my opinion… It would be easier for me to answer your questions directly than to reflect on them at length… By the time you come to see me, my answers will have become clear on their own…” The document illustrates the teacher-student relationship as well as the dynamic transmission of medical knowledge during the interwar period, when experience and dialogue took precedence over pure theory. A prominent figure in French psychiatry, Berillon distinguished himself particularly in the study of behavior and applied psychology.