Life-Chart Methodology: a long past and a short history.

Objectives: Nowadays, the use of the Life-Chart Methodology is common in bipolar disorder clinics. Our aim was to present a chart from the Archives of the University Heidelberg (Germany).
Methods: The clinical case records dating from Emil Kraepelin's direction of the Psychiatric Clinic at Heidelberg were systematically screened.
Results: Among the clinical records of patients suffering from manic depressive illness we located one record with a detailed charting of the clinical course.
Conclusions: The chart reviewed shows that the Life-Chart Method was used more than a hundred years ago and for the same purpose, as an aid to clinicians.