If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. His main contribution, perhaps, was to persuade physicians to give up treating these conditions with drugs. 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, 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. Weir mitchell was the rest cure, especially for women. The weirmitchell treatment this consists of complete rest in bed, isolation, high feeding, massage, and electricity.
He became a specialist in neurology after serving in the civil war in charge of nervous injuries and maladies at turners lane hospital, philadelphia. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. But while he was alive, he was renowned as a pioneering doctor of nervous diseases and a successful author. The cure was devised by neurologist silas weir mitchell as a treatment for neurasthenia.
Sep 14, 2012 this modern biography provides a comprehensive and balanced view of a legendary figure in american medicine. It was based, he said, on moral and physical components described in his book fat and blood 2. The diagnosis and treatment for neurasthenia were distinctly american, but the concepts soon became part of standard medicine in great britain, france, germany, the netherlands holland, and eventually in china and japan. The treatment that the narrator dreads is neurologist silas weir mitchells. In this field weir mitchells name became prominently associated with his introduction of the rest cure, subsequently taken up by the medical world, for nervous diseases, particularly hysteria. His most prominent books were wear and tear, or hints for the overworked 1871, injuries of nerves and their consequences 1872, fat and blood 1877, and doctor and patient 1888 as the most prominent u. Weir mitchell and charlotte perkins gilman, it is necessary to understand the radical nature of the rest cure itself mitchells treatment was designed for neurasthenics, whom he described as nervous women, who, as a rule, are thin and lack blood 1, p. Few articles or books on this subject have failed to emphasise the key role of rest in its treatment. Weir mitchell himself would no doubt have concurred with the. Mitchell had fallen asleep in a chair after a long. Weir mitchells rest cure footnotes to the history of. Symptoms differed from patient to patient and from one historical period.
Weir mitchell and charlotte perkins gilman, it is necessary to understand. He essentially imprisoned women for up to two months, and gave them little contact with the outside world. Not by any means all of them have distinct views as to what it is they do when they put at rest a limb or the. Mitchell was the son of john kearsley mitchell 17981858, a physician and lecturer at jefferson medical college, and matilda henry mitchell 18001872. Weir mitchell, physician, novelist, and poet, was born in philadelphia on 15 february 1829. There is certainly evidence of mitchell being incredibly unsympathetic toward his female patients. Physician silas weir mitchell is perhaps best remembered for his rest cure for. Milar, phd, of earlham college is historical editor for time capsule. I remember when reading one of the books of this man whom i shall. Gilmans autobiography and short story paint a vivid picture of what the rest cure may. To understand the struggle between the two extraordinary personalities of s. This allinone virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health. Silas weir mitchell, describing what he called his rest cure for hysterical women, wrote, i do not permit the patient to sit up or to sew or write or read.
In civilian practice when faced with patients with neurosis and hysteria he developed his rest cure. This approach was typified by silas weir mitchells rest cure, 2 which was so popular as to be described as the greatest advance of which practical medicine can boast in the last quarter of the century. In the harrowing tale, the narrator slowly goes mad while enduring mitchells regimen of enforced bed rest, seclusion and overfeeding. Silas weir mitchell national museum of civil war medicine. Silas weir mitchell and the rest cure journal of neurology. Weir mitchell american physician and writer britannica. The rest cure was invented in the late nineteenth century by silas weir mitchell, a notable american neurologist, and was used widely in the u. Schuster, pennsylvania magazine of history and biography. The only cure was withdrawal from the pressures of urban life, rest, and a simpler, healthy lifestyle. Reading the rest cure project muse johns hopkins university.
Putting the rest cure to restagain pubmed central pmc. From 1869, neurasthenia became a popular diagnosis, expanding to include such symptoms as weakness, dizziness and fainting. Treatment was, by our standards, absolutely useless and yet, like presentday treatment, it often worked. Weir mitchell, a physician perhaps best known for his invention of the rest cure to treat neurasthenia.
The diagnosis and treatment for neurasthenia were distinctly american, but the concepts soon became part of standard medicine in great britain, france, germany, the. Oct 25, 20 in addition to developing the rest cure, mitchell s fascination with the nervous system led to his groundbreaking research on rattlesnake venom as a neurotoxin. Weir mitchell rest cure worked than why it sometimes worked. Silas weir mitchell 18291914 was an extremely wellknown physician during the 19th century in the city of philadelphia, pennsylvania, in the united states, and a story is told of a very strange event that happened to him one night. Silas weir mitchell february 15, 1829 january 4, 1914 was an american physician, scientist, novelist, and poet. In this field weir mitchells name became prominently associated with his introduction of the rest cure, subsequently taken up by the medical world, for nervous diseases, 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. During the civil war, mitchell worked as a contract surgeon in philadelphia to treat young men with torn flesh, shattered bones, burning pain and phantom limbs. More controversially, mitchell also developed the rest cure. Weir mitchell and charlotte perkins gilman, it is necessary to understand the radical nature of the rest cure itself. He is considered the father of medical neurology, and he discovered of causalgia complex regional pain syndrome and erythromelalgia, and pioneered the rest cure. Mitchells father, john kearsley mitchell, was professor of medicine at jefferson medical college, where the younger mitchell graduated in 1850.
Silas weir mitchell was a philadelphia native who was born the son of a prominent physician and seemed destined to become a doctor. Data from this period gleaned from the annual reports of queen square hospital, london, indicates that the diagnosis was balanced between the sexes and had a. Today, silas weir mitchell 18291914 is best known as the purveyor of the rest cure, made infamous by charlotte perkins gilmans short. Controversial because of his fierce fight against womens rights, s.
This book is the first modern, reliable biography of s. Weir mitchell, american physician and author who excelled in novels of psychology and historical romance. The evolution of the rest treatment, unknown binding january 1, 1904 by s. Psychiatryonline subscription options offer access to the dsm5 library, books, journals, cme, and patient resources. If you have heard of the rest cure, chances are you learned about this once. Weir mitchell 18291914 after sinking into a deep depression following the birth of her daughter katharine in 1885. The bestknown doctor for treating neurasthenia was a highly regarded neurologist named silas weir mitchell kivo 8. The cure, which was prescribed almost exclusively for women, had three core elements. Mitchells treatment was designed for neurasthenics, whom he described as nervous women, who, as a rule, are thin and lack blood 1, p.
Footnotes 1 silas weir mitchell to sister, 26 july 1863, silas weir mitchell papers, college of physicians of philadelphia. Weir mitchell1 18291914, the american neurologist, renowned for his work on causalgia, was also interested in hysteria. Exploring rest cure therapy in the yellow wallpaper rest was used as a cure for neurasthenia, but did it really work. My dissertation focuses on the history of bibliotherapy, or the use of books as. As he explained in fat and blood, the basic need was to combat anemia by restoring weight and red. Surgeons and doctors for a long while have been using rest as one means of curing disease. By the end of the month, shed gained 40 pounds and a spot among his most successful cases. Men undergoing the rest cure could be allowed out of bed once a day, and were allowed to read and write as much as they wanted.
Weir writes of curing neural conditions by a rest cure consisting of isolation, confinement to bed, dieting and massage. This essay discusses the rest cure, a popular treatment for nervous illness pioneered by philadelphia neurologist silas weir mitchell in the 1860s and 70s. This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. Silas weir mitchell was born on february 15, 1829, in. Silas weir mitchell larger version here as the story is usually told, it was a winter evening and dr. The father of american neurology prescribed women months of. To celebrate national poetry month, we are sharing poems from our collection throughout april today, silas weir mitchell 18291914 is best known as the purveyor of the rest cure, made infamous by charlotte perkins gilmans short story the yellow wallpaper. The yellow wallpaper explores the concept of rest cure therapy and its effectiveness on a woman patient. In the first few weeks, women were not allowed engage their minds by reading or performing small activities. The rest cure revisited american journal of psychiatry. I recently travelled to the college of physicians to examine the papers of dr. In addition to developing the rest cure, mitchells fascination with the nervous system led to his groundbreaking research on rattlesnake venom as a neurotoxin. Nov 12, 2008 silas weir was a 19th century american physician and writer.
Emphasis will be placed on the spread of the cure to britain and the role of the rest cure in literature. Silas weir was a 19th century american physician and writer. A comparison of the fictional female characters in s. Apr 08, 2016 today, silas weir mitchell 18291914 is best known as the purveyor of the rest cure, made infamous by charlotte perkins gilmans short story the yellow wallpaper. Physician silas weir mitchell is perhaps best remembered for his rest cure for nervous women, depicted by his onetime patient charlotte perkins gilman in the yellow wallpaper 1892. By the time he died in 1914, the weir mitchell rest cure had been translated into four. Silas weir mitchell, his strict rest cure regimen had her on the mend. But while he was alive, he was renowned as a pioneering doctor of nervous. This allinone virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, silas was the rare combination of someone born rich but was also talented and intellectually curious. Price new from used from unknown binding, 1904 please retry.
Mitchell began his medical career researching rattlesnake venom. The rest cure was a strictly enforced regime of six to eight weeks of bed. Mar 14, 1998 this approach was typified by silas weir mitchells rest cure, 2 which was so popular as to be described as the greatest advance of which practical medicine can boast in the last quarter of the century. 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. While mitchell outlined his methods in fat and blood, he and many other neurologists refined the details as time went by. By johanna goldberg, information services librarian. The term bargaining with patriarchy comes from deniz kandiyoti, bargaining with patriarchy, gender af soc. Weir mitchells late nineteenthcentury novels and gilmans own protagonist in the yellow wallpaper 1892 suggests that through his rest cure treatment mitchell tried to reform his patient charlotte perkins gilman along the lines of his fictional female protagonists, many of whom. Weir mitchell s late nineteenthcentury novels and gilmans own protagonist in the yellow wallpaper 1892 suggests that through his rest cure treatment mitchell tried to reform his patient charlotte perkins gilman along the lines of his fictional female protagonists, many of whom. Rest and unrest have had their days and fashions in medicine. Weir mitchell author see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
After study at the university of pennsylvania and jefferson medical college m. He invented the term causalgia for the intractable pain consequent upon nerve injury. This modern biography provides a comprehensive and balanced view of a legendary figure in american medicine. Exploring rest cure therapy in the yellow wallpaper bartleby. Today, silas weir mitchell 18291914 is best known as the purveyor of the rest cure, made infamous by charlotte perkins gilmans short story the yellow wallpaper. It is worth noting that there was also a version of the rest cure for men, but it was much less strict and regimented. Weir mitchell, in full silas weir mitchell, born feb.
His creation of the rest cure to treat hysteria and neurasthenia originated in his. His most prominent books were wear and tear, or hints for the overworked. Weir mitchell was a doctor, writer, and a poet, the man also thought, according to the rest cure. Opinion dont take this lying down the new york times. Silas weir mitchell 339 the world and his books wear and tear and fat and blood went through many editions. Go rest, young man american psychological association. Weirmitchell of philadelphia has the honour of having introduced this simple and wellarranged treatment. Virginia woolf, too, was prescribed the rest cure by her gynecologist, one of mitchells british contemporaries, and wrote passionately against the practice.
A prominent philadelphia physician and graduate of jefferson medical college, silas weir mitchell, m. These studies informed his numerous pamphlets and books and. He demonstrated that better results could be obtained by nonmedicinal treatments, such as rest, isolation, overfeeding, and. Weir mitchell penned several classic books and papers.
Search the history of over 436 billion web pages on the internet. Silas weir mitchell physician 18291914, american surgeon. The father of american neurology prescribed women months. Repetition or resolution of victorian womens conflicts. The weir mitchell rest cure was comprised of six to eight weeks of absolute rest. He first encountered it in soldiers during the civil war. Weir mitchell achieved stunning success through his experimentation with venomous snakes, treatment of civil war soldiers with phantom limbs and burning pain, and creation of the rest cure to treat hysteria and.
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