Standing on the shoulders of Pinel, Freud, and Kraepelin: a historiometric inquiry into the histories of psychiatry.

History of psychiatry can provide us with a map of the evolution of the practice and identify its major figures. A historiometric approach was taken to available history of psychiatry texts and a historical dictionary. Reliability was tested against data from the journal History of Psychiatry. Those cited in all historical accounts are characterized as major figures, whereas those cited in at least 60% of the sources are considered significant figures. An index of eminence is calculated for each significant figure. The Cronbach's α was 0.89. Seventy-four significant figures were identified, of which 18 are considered major figures. Among these, Freud, Pinel, and Kraepelin have the highest eminence-in that order. Pinel, Freud, and Kraepelin represent key moments in three epochs in the history of psychiatry: the asylum era, the first biological psychiatry, and the psychoanalytical period, respectively. The most recent historical periods are not well represented in histories of psychiatry.