[From the care of cripples to the rehabilitation of the physically handicapped].

Starting out from describing an orthopaedic institute with an orthopaedic-rehabilitative approach, established in 1780 by Venel in the Suisse canton of Waadt, a historical retrospective is given of the field of rehabilitation of the physically disabled, going back for some notable industrial and social medicine aspects to Graeco-Roman times. Reference is in particular made to the peculiarities of 19th century private, residential care, and the development of modern-day facilities for persons with a physical disability is outlined.