[The Centro Espírita Redemptor and the treatment of mental illness, 1910-1921]

Spiritism is a religious doctrine originated in France during the nineteenth century through the works of Allan Kardec. In Brazil, it assumed an original configuration: rational and scientific Christian spiritism, pioneered by Luiz de Mattos, was one of the national doctrinal variants. Luiz de Mattos created the Centro Espírita Redemptor where, for some years, he monitored the treatment of the mentally ill. The article analyzes the characteristics of rational and scientific Christian spiritism treatment applied to mental illness and the strategies that Luiz de Mattos adopted to defend his form of treatment. Some similarities and differences between spiritist and medical treatment are also outlined.