Kin Spruijt: A Psychedelic Nurse in a Dutch Psychiatric Clinic

Stephen Snelders

Since at least the 1840s psychiatrists have administered psychedelics to treat their patients. From the 1950s onwards this happened with an increasing appreciation of the influence of set and setting on therapeutic effects, and in the context of the rise of a global psychedelic movement. Historians can uncover a rich literature about these treatments that is mostly buried in medical journals – articles that discuss treatment results and sometimes the experiences of the patients. Most of this literature is written by the male psychiatrists, reflecting western society’s gender inequalities... continue reading.