Aulus Cornelius Celsus

(25 B.C.E – 50 A.D.), Roman encyclopaedist (Byers, 1998), who gave descriptions of epileptic madness, phrenitis (where inflammation of the brain resulted in psychic phenomena), hysteria, mania and melancholia (in which he recognised the insomnia and anorexia that can be concomitant with depression (Cule, 1997)), as well as an illness that was found in younger people and was accompanied by visual and auditory hallucinations (a situation that has been associated with the modern idea of schizophrenia (Stone, 2006)). He believed that some mental illnesses were due to intervention by the gods and he is also one of the first writers to indicate that the moon had an influence on mental illness (Cox, 1806), a condition that came to be called lunacy. Although not a physician himself, Celsus gathered extensive writings from the Greeks, translated them into Latin, and compiled them into an encyclopaedia entitled De artibus (A.D. 25-35) (Keyser & Irby-Massey, 2008). Originally this contained five books on agriculture, and other books of unknown length on military science, government, history, law, philosophy, rhetoric, and medicine (Byers, 1998; Smith, 1870). The only books to survive, however, were The Eight Books of Medicine, or De medicina octo libri, the most comprehensive medical history and detailed description of medical and surgical procedures ever produced by a Roman writer (Elliott, 1914; Keyser & Irby-Massey, 2008; Moulton, 1998; Smith, 1870), and one of the first medical books to be printed (Byers, 1998). Celsus’ contribution to medicine was considered so important, that, in later times, Paracelsus took his adopted name to mean “better than Celsus’ (Byers, 1998). As far as treatment methods for mental disturbance is concerned, Celsus recommended starvation, fetters and flogging (which continued as a treatment until modern times (Tuke, 1882)) and anything 'which thoroughly agitates the spirit' (Bucknill & Tuke, 1858; Darton, 1999; Hills, 1901; Hinshaw, 2007; Kyziridis, 2005; Porter, 2002; Regis, 1894).

Aulus Cornelius Celsus

References:

Bucknill, J.C., & Tuke, D.H. (1858). A manual of psychological medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Blanchard & Lea.

Byers, P.K. (Ed.) (1998). Encyclopedia of world biography. (2^nd edition). Detroit, MI: Gale Research.

Cox, J.M. (1806). Practical observations on insanity. (2^nd edition). London, England: C. & R. Baldwin.

Cule, J. (1997). The devil’s apples. Vesalius, III, 2, 95 -105.

Darton, K. (1999). Notes on the history of mental health care. Mind: London. Retrieved from                 http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Factsheets/History+of+mental+health/Notes+on+the+History+of+Mental+Health+Care.htm

Elliott, J.S. (1914). Outlines of Greek and Roman medicine. New York, NY: William Wood & Company.

Hills, F.L. (1901). Psychiatry – ancient, medieval and modern. The Popular Science Monthly 59, 3, 31-48.

Hinshaw, S.P.  (2007). The mark of shame: stigma of mental illness and an agenda for change. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

Keyser, P.T., & Irby-Massey, G.L. (2008). The encyclopedia of ancient natural scientists: the Greek tradition and its many heirs. New York, NY: Routledge.

Kyziridis, T.C. (2005). Notes on the history of schizophrenia. German Journal of Psychiatry. 8 (4): 42-8.

Moulton, C. (Ed.) (1998). Ancient Greece and Rome: an encyclopedia for students. New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Porter, R. (2002). Madness: a brief history. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

Regis, E. (1894). A practical manual of mental medicine. (2^nd edition). Utica, NY: American Journal of Insanity.

Smith, W. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co.

Stone, M.H. (2006). History of schizophrenia and its antecedents. In Lieberman, J.A., Stroup, T.S., & Perkins, D.O., The American Psychiatric Publishing textbook of schizophrenia. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc.

Tuke, D.H. (1882). Chapters in the history of the insane in the British Isles. London, England: Kegan Paul, Trench & Co.