title: Sydenham on Hysteria.
abstract: This historical essay outlines early ideas and clinical accounts of hysteria. It reproduces verbatim parts of a remarkable text of Thomas Sydenham. This provides the most detailed description of hysterical symptoms, contemporary treatment and particularly Sydenham's opinions about the nature of the disorder. His portrayal is compared to later and modern concepts and classification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, UK.
authors.forename: John M S
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pearce
mesh_terms: D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000266:history*; D004739:England; D049670:History, 17th Century; D006801:Humans; D007046:Hysteria / Q000266:history*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000266:history*