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