Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Hystero-epilepsy
Introduction
Hystero-epilepsy is an alleged disease “discovered” by 19th-century French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. It is considered a famous example of iatrogenic artifact, or a disease created by doctors.
The disease was considered a combination of hysteria and epilepsy. Charcot housed his “hystero-epilepsy” patients in the same ward as patients with epilepsy, because both were considered “episodic” diseases. Symptoms included “convulsions, contortions, fainting, and transient impairment of consciousness.”
Joseph Babinski convinced Charcot that he was inducing the symptoms in his patients because of his treatment regimen. [1]
References
References
- ↑ Spanos, Nicholas P. Multiple Identities and False Memories: A Sociocognitive Perspective (Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1996).