Ergotism in Norway. Part 1: The symptoms and their interpretation from the late Iron Age to the seventeenth century
Ergotism is a horrendous disease with grotesque symptoms caused by ingesting specific ergot alkaloids. Mass poisoning episodes are attributable to consumption of grain – usually rye – infected with the fungus Claviceps purpurea. By focusing on possible cases of ergotism, we re-examine Norwegian history from the sagas through to the end of the seventeenth century. Our review – not intended to be exhaustive, or ex post facto to assign medical or psychiatric labels – draws attention to the very real possibility that many remarkable medical cases may have been the result of the ingestion of highly poiso...
Source: History of Psychiatry - February 19, 2013 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Alm, T., Elvevag, B. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
The morbidity and mortality linked to melancholia: two cohorts compared, 1875-1924 and 1995-2005
For over a century, melancholia has been linked to increased rates of morbidity and mortality. Data from two epidemiologically complete cohorts of patients presenting to mental health services in North Wales (1874–1924 and 1995–2005) have been used to look at links between diagnoses of melancholia in the first period and severe hospitalized depressive disorders today and other illnesses, and to calculate mortality rates. This is a study of the hospitalized illness rather than the natural illness, and the relationship between illness and hospitalization remains poorly understood. These data confirm that melancho...
Source: History of Psychiatry - February 19, 2013 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Harris, M., Farquhar, F., Healy, D., Le Noury, J. C., Linden, S. C., Hughes, J. A., Roberts, A. P. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
