The view that the prevalence of anorexia nervosa is influenced by social attitudes and customs is a popular one. Unfortunately the scarcity of medical accounts prior to the later decades of the last century make it difficult if not impossible to estimate the prevalence of anorexia nervosa at various periods in history. The authors present the history of one of Goethe's literary heroines and suggest that similar studies could throw some light on the epidemiology of anorexia nervosa in the past.
MattinglyD., BhanjiS.The diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. J R Coll Physicians Lond1982; 16: 191–4
2.
RussellG.The present status of anorexia nervosa. Psychol Med1977; 7: 363–7
3.
GarfinkelP.E., GarnerD.M.Anorexia nervosa: a multidimensional perspective.New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1982
4.
von GoetheJW (HollingdaleR.J., trans) Elective affinities.Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1971
5.
HammondW.A.Fasting girls: their physiology and psychology.New York: GP Putnam's Sons, 1879
6.
GouldM.G., PyleW.L.Anomalies and curiosities of medicine.Popular edition. London: WB Saunders & Co, 1901
7.
MorganG.H.Fasting girls and our attitudes to them. BMJ1977; 2: 1652–5
8.
AccorneroF.L'anoressia mentale: una priorita Italiana e l'asservazione di 4 casi. Rev Speridentale Freniatria1943; 67: 447–89
9.
BellR.M.Holy anorexia.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1985
10.
MortonR.Phthisologia: seu exercitationes de phthisi.London: S Smith, 1689
11.
SilvermanJ.A.Richard Morton 1637–1698 limner of anorexia nervosa: his life and times. JAMA1983; 250: 2830–2
12.
BhanjiS., NewtonV.B.Richard Morton's account of “nervous consumption”. Int J Eating Disorders1985; 4: 589–95
13.
WhyteR.Observations on the nature, causes, and cure of those disorders which have commonly been called nervous, hypochondriac, or hysteric, 2nd edn.Edinburgh: J Becket, PA De Hondt and J Balfour, 1785
14.
NaudeauM.Observation sur une maladie nerveuse. J Medecine1789; 81: 197–200
15.
LasegueC.De l'anorexie hysterique. Arch Gen Med1873; 21: 385–403
BruchH.Anorexia nervosa and its differential diagnosis. J Nerv Ment Dis1966; 141: 555–66
24.
FriedenthalR.Goethe, sein Leben und seine Zeit.Frankfurt: Bucherguilde Gutenberg, 1963
25.
GriesingerW.Die Pathologie und Therapie der psychisen Krankheiten fur Artze une Studirende.Stuttgart: Krabbe Verlag, 1845
26.
WolffG.Psychiatrie und Dichtkunst. Ein Vortrag.Weisbaden: J F Bergmann Verlag, 1903
27.
SchneiderK.Der Dichter und der Psychopathologe. Ein Vortrag fur die Mediziner der Uniuersitat Koln. Mit einem Literatur-Nachweis.Cologne: Rheinland-Verlag, 1922
28.
ReuchlinG.Burgerliche Gesellschaft, Psychiatrie und Literatur. Zur Entwicklung der Wahnsinnsthematik in der deutschen Literatur des spaten 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts.Munich: Wilheim Fink Verlag, 1986
29.
CharcotJ.M.Clinical lectures on the nervous system.Vol III. London: The New Sydenham Society, 1889
30.
Gilles de la TouretteGAEB. Traite clinique et thera-peutique de l'hysteric.Paris: Plou, Nourit et Co, 1895
31.
JanetP.Les obsessions et la psychasthenicParis: Felix Alcan, 1903
32.
AllbuttT.C.Neuroses of the stomach and of other parts of the abdomen. In: AllbuttT.C., RollestonH.C., eds. A system of medicine.London: MacMillan, 1910: 709–10
33.
DejerineJ., GaucklerE.Les manifestations fouctionelles des psychonevroses, leur traitement par la psychotherapieParis: Masson, 1911
34.
SheldonJ.H.Discussion on anorexia nervosa. Proc R Soc Med1939; 32: 738–41
35.
SimmondsM.Ueber Hypophysisshwond mit Todlichen ausgane. Dtsche Med Wochenschr1914; 1: 322–3
36.
EscamillaR.F., LisserH.Simmond's disease: a clinical study with review of the literature; differentiation from anorexia nervosa by statistical analysis of 595 cases, 101 of which were proved pathologically. J Clin Endocrinol1942; 2: 65–96
37.
KraepelinE.Die Erscheinungsformen des Irreseins. Zentralbl Neurol Psychiatr1920; 62: 1–29
38.
WulffM.Uber einen interessanten oralen Symptomen-komplex und seine Beziehung zur Sucht. Int Z Psychoanal1932; 18: 281–302
39.
ZuttJ.Das psychiatrische Krankheitsbild der Pubertatsmagersucht. Arch Psychiat Nervenkr1948; 189: 5–6
40.
BinswangerL.Der Fall Ellen West. Arch Neurol Psychiatr1944; 54: 69–117
41.
PalmerH.D., JonesM.S.Anorexia nervosa as a manifestation of compulsion neurosis: a study of psychogenic factors. Arch Neurol Psychiatr1939; 41: 856–60
42.
KayD.W.K., LeighD.The natural history, treatment and prognosis of anorexia nervosa, based on a study of 38 patients. J Ment Sci1954; 100: 411–31
43.
BlissE.L., BranchC.H.H.Anorexia nervosa: its history, psychology, and biology.New York: Paul B Hoeber, 1962
44.
NemiahJ.C.Anorexia nervosa: fact and theory. Am J Dig Dis1958; 3: 249–74