Download or read book Cultures of Neurasthenia from Beard to the First World War written by Marijke Gijswijt-Hofstra and published by Rodopi. This book was released on 2001 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neurasthenia, or "nerve weakness," was originally identified in the U.S. in the late-19th century as an urban disease, similar to today's chronic fatigue syndrome. Neurasthenia maintained popularity through the first decade of the 20th century. This text contains 16 papers from a conference held in June 2000 in Amsterdam, to analyze and compare the history of neurasthenia in Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands. Developments in America and France are also given attention, as well as nervous disorders in Britain prior to the coming of neurasthenia. The authors consider the rise and fall of neurasthenia, variations in its popularity among countries, and the professional, patient, and public views of the disorder.