University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2013-09-24 The Conceptualization and Treatments for Phrenitis, Mania and Melancholia in Aretaeus of Cappadocia and Caelius Aurelianus. Murphy, Kate Elizabeth Anastacia Murphy, K. E. (2013). The Conceptualization and Treatments for Phrenitis, Mania and Melancholia in Aretaeus of Cappadocia and Caelius Aurelianus. (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28034 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1017 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY The Conceptualization and Treatments for Phrenitis, Mania and Melancholia in Aretaeus of Cappadocia and Caelius Aurelianus. by Kate Elizabeth Anastacia Murphy A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF GREEK AND ROMAN STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA AUGUST, 2013 © Kate Elizabeth Anastacia Murphy 2013 i Abstract Ancient medical writers, depending upon their medical schools, had different views about the conceptualization and treatments for physical and mental disorders. This thesis compares the conceptualizations and treatments for three main types of madness described in antiquity – phrenitis, mania, and melancholia – provided by two authors – Aretaeus of Cappadocia and Caelius Aurelianus. Phrenitis is an ancient disorder that has no clear modern equivalent, mania and melancholia may have been the two halves of modern bipolar disorder, and melancholia has links to schizophrenia. Although these authors subscribed to different medical theories, and although Aretaeus placed more value on eXperience and Caelius referred more to theory, their treatments for the three disorders were similar. Ancient doctors treated physical symptoms, just as modern doctors do today. Disorders with predominant physical symptoms were better defined and had more definite treatments. Adherence to specific medical dogmas did not interfere with the day-to- day treatment of the mentally ill. ii Acknowledgements I wish to thank first, and most of all, Dr. Peter Toohey for his invaluable guidance and assistance throughout this project. I would then like to thank the members of my eXamining committee, Dr. Hanne Sigismund Nielsen and Dr. Andrew Bulloch, for their eXtremely constructive feedback. I also acknowledge the financial support given to me by the government of Canada in the form of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council scholarship, the University of Calgary, the Faculty of Arts and especially the Greek and Roman Studies Department. I am grateful to my colleagues and friends, Amber Porter and Lesley Bolton, who have always been eager to lend me a helping hand, and who had already gathered together for their own research many of the resources I needed. I should also thank Matt Naglak, Jeff Opekar and Danielle Baillargeon for demystifying Microsoft Word for me. Last, but most certainly not least, I would like to thank my parents and friends for their love and support. Their kind words of encouragement provided me with the motivation I needed, especially to finish the painful editing process. They also provided much needed distraction in the form of shopping trips, pub trivia nights and hours upon hours on Skype. iii Table of Contents Abstract........................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ii Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................iii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. v Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 Chapter Two: Phrenitis .......................................................................................................30 Definitions...........................................................................................................................31 Definitions of Phrenitis According to Aretaeus and Caelius Aurelianus............... 31 Definitions of Phrenitis According to Other Medical Authors................................... 40 Treatment............................................................................................................................45 Patient’s Environment ................................................................................................................ 46 Medicaments................................................................................................................................... 52 Massage and Sleep........................................................................................................................ 57 Clysters.............................................................................................................................................. 60 Venesection ..................................................................................................................................... 62 Cupping and Scarification ......................................................................................................... 65 Diet ...................................................................................................................................................... 68 Humectation.................................................................................................................................... 77 Exercise ............................................................................................................................................. 78 Conclusions .........................................................................................................................79 Chapter Three: Mania ..........................................................................................................83 Definitions...........................................................................................................................83 Definitions of Mania According to Other Authors .......................................................... 83 Definitions of Mania According to Aretaeus and Caelius Aurelianus..................... 86 Treatment............................................................................................................................93 Patient’s Environment ................................................................................................................ 94 Medicaments................................................................................................................................... 96 Oral Medicaments.......................................................................................................................100 Massage and Sleep......................................................................................................................101 Clysters............................................................................................................................................103 Venesection ...................................................................................................................................104 Cupping and Scarification .......................................................................................................106 Diet ....................................................................................................................................................107 Bathing.............................................................................................................................................110 Exercise ...........................................................................................................................................111 Change of scenery.......................................................................................................................112 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................113 Chapter Four: Melancholia ..............................................................................................115 Definitions........................................................................................................................115 Definitions of Melancholy According to Other Authors .............................................115 iv Definitions of Melancholia According to Aretaeus and Caelius Aurelianus...... 120 Treatment.........................................................................................................................128 Patient’s Environment ..............................................................................................................129 Medicaments.................................................................................................................................130