We’ve all heard the famous line “Those whom the Gods destroy, they first make mad”. The author of this line is often debated. Some maintain it was written by Euripides, a Greek playwright who wrote famous tragedies (plays that explore human suffering).The version used here and often quoted, appears in Daniel Anderson Scott’s ‘Daniel: A Model for Young Men‘ on page 248.Whatever its origin, throughout the centuries man has believed that mental illness was the result of the work of Gods and demons in some form or another. Porter (2002, p. 10) states that in early religious texts, madness was often a curse or punishment. For example, in Deuteronomy (6:5) there is the line ”The Lord will smite thee with madness”. As well as this, Porter (2002, p. 10) goes further stating throughout the Old Testament are various accounts of possession by devils. Burton (1621) states that when the French stole an image of St. John, they became frantic. Additionally, Burton (1621) states that when Lord Radnor came home late from hunting, he placed his dogs inside the church, only to find in the morning they had turned mad, and he suddenly became blind. Outside of Western culture, Grahi, a Hindu demon was said to cause convulsions. Additionally, Retief and Cilliers (1997) state that the Mesopotamians also believed mental illness was cast down from gods as punishment for sins, and that treatment focused upon their appeasement. However, Stone (1937) argues that some individuals of the day actually had a reasonably good understanding of mental illnesses. For example, Stone argues that Aretaeus of Cappadocia (200 A.D.) was the first to ”identify the manic-depressive psychosis in its various phases”. Additionally, Galen (129 – 199/217 A.D.) (cited in Burton, 1621) stated “It is vain to speak of cures, or think of remedies, until such time as we have considered of the causes” - a notion that we use today.Given the religious oppression that filled the vacuum of power in Europe and Britain following the collapse of the Roman Empire, one can be fooled into thinking that such notions of superstitious thought continued unchecked. Indeed, it is true that throughout the dark ages and middle ages there was much superstitious thought at dominated almost every aspect of life, from the changing of seasons to rituals. Superstitious thought also lead to many conflicts. For example in Tudor Britain there raged the Catholic/Protestant too-and-fro-ing of dominance following the death of Henry VIII. However, Stone (1937) argues that the some works of the Greeks which had been preserved still informed how individuals at the time sought to understand mental illness. Specifically, Stone (1937) maintains that Galen’s work on insanity formed the basis of psychiatric thought throughout the middle ages. However, it was mainly only monks who were medical practitioners, and the work of the classical philosophers and physicians was distorted with medieval influences of demonic possession, superstition and church theology. For example, writing in Burton (1621) writes:”Ruland gives an instance of one David Helde, a young man, who by eating cakes which a witch gave him, began to dote on a sudden, and was instantly mad”and”FHD Hildesheim, consulted about a melancholy man, thought the disease was partly magical, and partly natural because he vomited pieces of iron and lead, and spake such languages as he had never been taught”It would not be until the 16th Century, in which more time was spent on recording and gathering data and that psychiatric knowledge would begin to flourish. Scholars of the past were aware of mental illness, although at times they were wrong about the causes. However, reading the texts of the past especially Burton’s ‘Anatomy of Melancholy’ provides the reader with a rich source of understanding of previous approaches to an illness that afflicts so many individuals. Perhaps by looking back, students of psychology can gain a better appreciation for the technological and theoretical advances of today. What would the Greek Scholars make of the medication we use, or the DSM-IV-TR? Although there is fierce debate regarding some aspects of diagnosing and treating mental illnesses, we all owe a debt of gratitude to those in the past who worked to uncover the truth of mental illness and end centuries of superstitious thought.In Part 2 I will discuss important individuals throughout history who suffered from mental illnesses. Any names are welcome.References:Porter, R. (2002). Gods and demons Madness: A Brief History, 10-33 Other: 0-19-280267-4Retief FP, & Cilliers L (2007). Mesopotamian medicine. South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde, 97 (1), 27-30 PMID: 17378276Stone, S. (1937). Psychiatry through the ages. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 32 (2), 131-160 DOI: 10.1037/h0058883 …
Porter, R. (2002) Gods and demons. Madness: A Brief History, 10-33. info:other/0-19-280267-4
Retief FP, & Cilliers L. (2007) Mesopotamian medicine. South African medical journal , 97(1), 27-30. PMID: 17378276 Mesopotamian medicine.
Stone, S. (1937) Psychiatry through the ages. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 32(2), 131-160. DOI: 10.1037/h0058883 Psychiatry through the ages.
