Could Fidgety Philipp be proof that ADHD is not a modern phenomenon?
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《英国医生杂志》
According to a new study Zappel-Philipp, a character in the 1846 children's book Struwwelpeter, is probably the first written mention of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by a psychiatrist.
Fidgety Philipp upsets his chair in an illustration from the 1846 children's book Struwwelpeter
The book, written for his son by Dr Heinrich Hoffmann, founder of the first mental hospital in Frankfurt, contains a series of short stories about a boy called Zappel-Philipp, which translates as Fidgety Philipp.
In a study in European Psychiatry (published online ahead of publication at www.aep.lu/publishing/) Dr Johannes Thome, professor of psychiatry at the University of Wales School of Medicine, Swansea, and co-author Kerri Jacobs say the character has all the symptoms of ADHD.
"It is astonishing how clearly the typical symptoms of ADHD are depicted in Hoffmann's book. Struwwelpeter can be considered the first description of ADHD symptoms by a psychiatrist and thus represents an important document of medical history," says the report, which suggests that Hoffmann's description of ADHD was probably based on his psychiatric experience with children.
"Many of the ICD-10 criteria for ADHD are fulfilled: Philipp fails to give close attention and to sustain attention for his task and does not listen to what is being said to him. The symptoms of hyperactivity are evident: he fidgets and squirms on his seat and exhibits a persistent pattern of excessive motor activity... Finally, his impulsive behaviour causes significant distress within the family."
They add, "It has been argued that ADHD is a typical result of the adverse conditions of modern society, thus questioning it as a nosological entity.
"In such a situation it can be useful to go back in the history of medicine. By doing so, it is possible to show that the typical symptoms of ADHD were described as early as 1846."
? The American Medical Association last week held a briefing for journalists on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, funded by an "unrestricted educational grant" from Shire US, maker of the most widely prescribed drug for the condition in the United States.
Shire Pharmaceuticals, which has its headquarters in Basingstoke, Hampshire, last month received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to market its long-acting amphetamine Adderall XR to treat adults with the disorder. A speaker at the conference claimed that eight million adults had the condition.
A spokesman for the American Medical Association said: "The AMA follows the strictest ethical and editorial guidelines" with regard to such events.(Roger Dobson)
Fidgety Philipp upsets his chair in an illustration from the 1846 children's book Struwwelpeter
The book, written for his son by Dr Heinrich Hoffmann, founder of the first mental hospital in Frankfurt, contains a series of short stories about a boy called Zappel-Philipp, which translates as Fidgety Philipp.
In a study in European Psychiatry (published online ahead of publication at www.aep.lu/publishing/) Dr Johannes Thome, professor of psychiatry at the University of Wales School of Medicine, Swansea, and co-author Kerri Jacobs say the character has all the symptoms of ADHD.
"It is astonishing how clearly the typical symptoms of ADHD are depicted in Hoffmann's book. Struwwelpeter can be considered the first description of ADHD symptoms by a psychiatrist and thus represents an important document of medical history," says the report, which suggests that Hoffmann's description of ADHD was probably based on his psychiatric experience with children.
"Many of the ICD-10 criteria for ADHD are fulfilled: Philipp fails to give close attention and to sustain attention for his task and does not listen to what is being said to him. The symptoms of hyperactivity are evident: he fidgets and squirms on his seat and exhibits a persistent pattern of excessive motor activity... Finally, his impulsive behaviour causes significant distress within the family."
They add, "It has been argued that ADHD is a typical result of the adverse conditions of modern society, thus questioning it as a nosological entity.
"In such a situation it can be useful to go back in the history of medicine. By doing so, it is possible to show that the typical symptoms of ADHD were described as early as 1846."
? The American Medical Association last week held a briefing for journalists on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, funded by an "unrestricted educational grant" from Shire US, maker of the most widely prescribed drug for the condition in the United States.
Shire Pharmaceuticals, which has its headquarters in Basingstoke, Hampshire, last month received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to market its long-acting amphetamine Adderall XR to treat adults with the disorder. A speaker at the conference claimed that eight million adults had the condition.
A spokesman for the American Medical Association said: "The AMA follows the strictest ethical and editorial guidelines" with regard to such events.(Roger Dobson)