born April 30, 1857, Zollikon, Switz.
died July 15, 1939, Zollikon
Swiss psychiatrist.
He is best known for his studies of schizophrenia and for introducing (1908) the term for the disorder previously called dementia praecox. Bleuler argued (against accepted wisdom) that schizophrenia was more than one disease, was not always incurable, and did not always progress to full dementia. He described the basic symptoms
disordered mental associations and splitting or fragmentation of the personality
but believed that many cases were not apparent. He insisted that psychosis did not need to result from organic brain damage and could have psychological causes instead. His Textbook of Psychiatry (1916) became a standard text.