Fat and Blood: An Essay on the Treatment of Certain Forms of Neurasthenia and Hysteria

by S. Weir Mitchell

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Genres: Medicine

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Silas Weir Mitchell was an American physician and writer.

During the Civil War he had charge of nervous injuries and maladies at Turners Lane Hospital, Philadelphia, and at the close of the war became a specialist in neurology. In this field Weir Mitchell's name became prominently associated with his introduction of the rest cure, subsequently taken up by the medical world, for nervous diseases, particularly hysteria; the treatment consisting primarily in isolation, confinement to bed, dieting and massage. His medical texts include Injuries of Nerves and Their Consequences (1872) and Fat and Blood (1877). Mitchell's disease (erythromelalgia) is named after him.

Reviews

[Hannah Stokes]

What an illuminating read on how horrifically sexist the work of the early psychiatrists were. I read this for my professional life, so there's more in my professional work on it. Let me just say, the utter infantilizing of women he is supposedly treating is disturbing. When you compare his work with Margaret Cleaves it's clear she was the better physician in every respect.

[Eke]

likely the first place candidate of the most fatphobic work of literature i've ever read, holy fuck

[Avis Black]

Rather dated, mildly interesting. His emphasis on rest is still valuable advice, though.