A moral history of seizures: reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth century
In the nineteenth century, neurology was in its infancy as an organized medical specialty. At that time, seizures were often attributed, under the guise of scientific explanations, to moral causes or behaviors. The medical literature from this period contains references to poor parental care as a ca...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Thieme Revinter Publicações
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria |
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| Online Access: | http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0045-1806829 |
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| author | Márcio Pinheiro Lima Elza Márcia Targas Yacubian |
| author_facet | Márcio Pinheiro Lima Elza Márcia Targas Yacubian |
| author_sort | Márcio Pinheiro Lima |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the nineteenth century, neurology was in its infancy as an organized medical specialty. At that time, seizures were often attributed, under the guise of scientific explanations, to moral causes or behaviors. The medical literature from this period contains references to poor parental care as a cause of epilepsy and descriptions of seizures being inherited alongside other undesirable traits. Temperance was praised, while gluttony was associated with epileptic fits. Unwanted sexual behaviors, such as masturbation, were also considered a risk factor for seizures. Women were thought to be more prone to epilepsy due to their behaviors and emotional disposition. These accounts illustrate the interplay between neurological science and the prevailing social norms of the era. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2b1c3c227b7b422e98fec6e77cc4e9d2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0004-282X 1678-4227 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Thieme Revinter Publicações |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria |
| spelling | doaj-art-2b1c3c227b7b422e98fec6e77cc4e9d22025-08-20T03:55:23ZengThieme Revinter PublicaçõesArquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria0004-282X1678-42272025-06-01830600100310.1055/s-0045-1806829A moral history of seizures: reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth centuryMárcio Pinheiro Lima0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2540-934XElza Márcia Targas Yacubian1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8367-0189Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.In the nineteenth century, neurology was in its infancy as an organized medical specialty. At that time, seizures were often attributed, under the guise of scientific explanations, to moral causes or behaviors. The medical literature from this period contains references to poor parental care as a cause of epilepsy and descriptions of seizures being inherited alongside other undesirable traits. Temperance was praised, while gluttony was associated with epileptic fits. Unwanted sexual behaviors, such as masturbation, were also considered a risk factor for seizures. Women were thought to be more prone to epilepsy due to their behaviors and emotional disposition. These accounts illustrate the interplay between neurological science and the prevailing social norms of the era.http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0045-1806829EpilepsyHistory, 19th CenturyHistory of MedicineNeurology |
| spellingShingle | Márcio Pinheiro Lima Elza Márcia Targas Yacubian A moral history of seizures: reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth century Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria Epilepsy History, 19th Century History of Medicine Neurology |
| title | A moral history of seizures: reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth century |
| title_full | A moral history of seizures: reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth century |
| title_fullStr | A moral history of seizures: reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth century |
| title_full_unstemmed | A moral history of seizures: reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth century |
| title_short | A moral history of seizures: reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth century |
| title_sort | moral history of seizures reported causes of seizures in the nineteenth century |
| topic | Epilepsy History, 19th Century History of Medicine Neurology |
| url | http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0045-1806829 |
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