Pellagra and Pellagrous Insanity during the Long Nineteenth Century

This open-access book explores the history of pellagra, a vitamin deficiency disease caused by a shift in agriculture to maize, first identified in Italy in the 1760s. It examines how thousands of patients were treated in Italian psychiatric asylums, shedding light on the sufferers' point of view and contributing to the history of medicine, science, psychiatry, economic and social history, agrarian history, and food and nutrition history. It also aims to transnationalize Italian history by comparing it to related issues such as tertiary syphilis in the UK.

Format: Paperback / softback
Publication date: 25 December 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This open-access book delves into the rich history of pellagra, a vitamin deficiency disease originating from the shift in agriculture towards maize, first identified in Italy in the 1760s. Focusing on the devastating effects of the disease, the authors explore the treatment of thousands of patients in Italian psychiatric asylums, providing a unique perspective from the sufferers' point of view. By contextualizing pellagrous insanity within the broader realm of man-made or societal diseases, where factors such as poverty, diet, and disease intersect, the book contributes to the fields of medicine, science, psychiatry, economic and social history, agrarian history, and food and nutrition history. Additionally, the authors aim to transnationalize Italian history by drawing comparisons with related issues, such as tertiary syphilis in the UK. Drawing from a diverse array of printed and archival sources, including the writings of Italian medical investigators, the book examines the methods and uncertainties of medical and scientific research during the long nineteenth century, particularly in terms of classification, explanation, diagnosis, and treatment. Offering a distinctive perspective on an endemic illness known as the disease of the four ds—dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death—this book provides an engaging account of one of the most perplexing causes of mental illness.

Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031224980
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023