Epidemic Neuromyasthenia

Holt, George W.

doi:10.1097/00000441-196501000-00016

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The reemergence of Beard's hypothesis in the medical literature was evident as early as 1965, when Holt described the presence of sporadic chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) as 'a new disease sweeping the civilised world' [14,20]. In fact, the illness currently best known in the USA as CFS came to the attention of the medical community and the general public in the mid-1980s.…”

Section: The Decline Of Neurastheniamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Borderland with Neurasthenia (‘Functional Syndromes')

Paciaroni¹,

Bogousslavsky²

2014

Hysteria: The Rise of an Enigma

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At the end of the 19th century, neurasthenia and hysteria were considered distinct diseases. Specifically, neurasthenia was regarded as a disease of the body, whereas hysteria was regarded as a disease of the psyche. However, immediately before World War I, due to their common characteristics, both hysteria and neurasthenia were thought to be 'functional diseases'. Moreover, it was suggested that heredity and the presence in both of the predisposing condition called 'nervous weakness' were other shared factors. Nervous weakness was considered essential for the definition of neurasthenia, but it was also considered a precondition for the development of hysteria. Because of this, it is still difficult to demarcate a line between neurasthenia and hysteria; therefore, the two diseases should be considered as sharing a common borderland with each other.

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Section: The Decline Of Neurastheniamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Borderland with Neurasthenia (‘Functional Syndromes')

Paciaroni¹,

Bogousslavsky²

2014

Hysteria: The Rise of an Enigma

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“…As before, the fact that the illness affected professionals of apparently impeccable moral stature, 'level headed', 121 'extrovert types of stable personality' 122 and so on, was used as evidence against a psychiatric origin. The over representation of health workers amongst sufferers from neurasthenia, neuromyasthenia, 123 epidemic ME 116 and sporadic PVFS 109 ' 111 is striking. It is difficult to explain epidemiologically, but it is also of symbolic significance.…”

Section: Epidemic Me and The Me Epidemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…124 Attention gradually shifted to sporadic cases. 123 This was assisted by the founding of a patient self-help organization and the accompanying media attention. 125 The result, largely unnoticed, was a gradual, but profound, change in the character of the illness.…”

Section: Epidemic Me and The Me Epidemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

History of postviral fatigue syndrome

Wessely

1991

British Medical Bulletin

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In writing a history of any illness there is always a dilemma whether to attempt the story of the condition 'itself', the medical attempts to define its nature, or to glimpse it via our changing reactions. The easiest is a straightforward account of the attempts of scientists to solve a problem--the classic medical detective story. However, this is often more fiction than fact. Medicine rarely moves smoothly from ignorance to knowledge, but often in a more circular fashion. A historical approach is thus not solely a record of who did what, but also contributes to our understanding of the problems under scrutiny in this issue. Terminology is never easy in this subject, but the following conventions will be used: The terms neurasthenia and ME will be used in their actual context (as authors themselves used them), without defining either. Post-infectious fatigue syndrome (PIFS) will cover similar conditions when related to infective episodes. All will be used in a neutral fashion, to refer to changing realities as understood by doctors and historians. This chapter attempts both chronological description and social analysis. The justification for this approach is clear in the case of neurasthenia, since 'as so little was known of its pathological basis physicians' statements regarding the disease were composed more of social and cultural elements than of scientific knowledge'. Although much has changed, a contemporary account still reveals as much about cultural attitudes as the advance of science.

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Wessely¹

1999

Somatoform Disorders

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Epidemic Neuromyasthenia

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

The Borderland with Neurasthenia (‘Functional Syndromes')

The Borderland with Neurasthenia (‘Functional Syndromes')

History of postviral fatigue syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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