Jean-Martin Charcot and the epilepsy/hysteria relationship

Journal of the History of the Neurosciences
D P Faber

Abstract

Research from many perspectives has been made on the work of the French neurologist, J.-M. Charcot (1825-1893) with particular reference to his fame for his studies and "construction" of hysteria. What has not been demonstrated so far is the extent to which Charcot's construction can be explained by the perceived relationship between hysteria and epilepsy and Charcot's access to epileptic patients at La Salpêtrière. From the confusion that reigned concerning hysteria and epilepsy, both separately and in relation to each other, Charcot claimed to have isolated hysteria as a distinctive and universal pathology. This claim was partly based on the "grande attaque", representing the most intense degree of hysteria. A comparison with Gowers, the contemporary English neurologist suggests that diagnosis was the function of the practitioners' preferences; and a linguistic analysis pinpoints Charcot's problems in describing an isolated pathology in terms of its relation to its neighbour, epilepsy.

References

Oct 1, 1990·Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences·M Boyle
Jan 1, 1986·Neurology·E W Massey, L C McHenry
Sep 1, 1993·Isis; an International Review Devoted to the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences·M S Micale
Mar 1, 1990·History of Psychiatry·M S Micale

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Citations

Dec 18, 2014·Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria·Marleide da Mota Gomes, Eliasz Engelhardt
Dec 11, 2020·Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics·Kevin Hackshaw

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