Jean Lhermitte

Jacques Jean Lhermitte was the son of an artist. Following early education at St. Etienne he studied in Paris, graduating in medicine in 1907. During World War I he studied spinal injuries and became interested in neuropsychiatry. This led to publications on visual hallucinations of the self. A deeply religious man, he explored the common territory between theology and medicine, and this led to interesting studies on demoniacal possession and stigmatisation. Lhermitte was a great clinical neurologistswhose enthusiasm inspired his younger contemporaries.