Pithiatism Versus Hysteria*

Abstract When Jean-Martin Charcot selected Babinski as senior resident in 1885, Charcot’s fame, international as well as national, was at its peak, especially in regard to hysteria. 9is became the main topic of his teaching, as shown by the large number of his lessons that are devoted to it.1 9e importance of hysteria in the second half of the nineteenth century, particularly in France, is amazing. Since its description in Antiquity, hysteria had been considered a female illness associated with womb disorders and female sexuality. With a better knowledge of ovarian functions, the role of the womb in hysteria was challenged in the mid-1800s. Hysteria was no longer considered a sexual disorder, though it remained genital in nature and restricted to women. 9e notion that hysteria was a disorder of the nervous system and could occur in men, first suggested by figures such as 9omas Sydenham (1624–1669) and defended by Paul Briquet (1796–1881)2 and then Charcot, would not be commonly accepted before the end of the century.