Before Freud: Neurasthenia and the American Medical Community, 1870-1910

by F.G. Gosling

Urbana 1987 1st University of Illinois. Neurasthenia and the American Medical Community 1870-1910. 8vo., 192pp., index. Fine in Fine DJ.

Genres: Psychology

214 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1987

About the author

Francis G. Gosling

Reviews

[Boots LookingLand]

This isn't an especially dense or long book. but it took a long time for me to get into it. The concentration up front on defining the elusive diagnosis of neurasthesia (in all of its myriad forms) sucks all the energy out of this book ~ especially because the author keeps an objective distance from the cases and inserts no helpful commentary whatsoever. On that point, the narrative is flat and disinteresting.

The value of this book is in the case studies, in the chapter that touches on the various "cures", and in the intimation of professional squabbling among physicians (alienists, neurologists, and those who would eventually become psychologists).

Too little information, however, too dryly related, but good breadcrumb notes sections and definitely a good starting place for anyone interested in the most embryonic beginnings of psychotherapy.

Interestingly, this text seemed rather sympathetic to Weir's "rest cure", though admitted it obviously wasn't going to work for everyone ~ particularly people who stood outside the typical 19th century attitudes/perceptions.