Silas Weir Mitchell

Silas Weir Mitchell (January 15, 1829–January 4, 1914) was an American physician and writer. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign For the game see 1829 (board game. Year 1829 ( MDCCCXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms

He was son of a physician, John Kearsley Mitchell (1798–1858), and was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John Kearsley Mitchell (1798 – 1858 was an American physician and writer born in Shepherdstown, Virginia. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə

He studied at the University of Pennsylvania in that city, and received the degree of M.D. at Jefferson Medical College in 1850. The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral Thomas Jefferson University is a private health sciences university located in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. During the Civil War he had charge of nervous injuries and maladies at Turners Lane Hospital, Philadelphia, and at the close of the war became a specialist in neurology. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South In this field Weir Mitchell's name became prominently associated with his introduction of the rest cure, subsequently taken up by the medical world, for nervous diseases, particularly hysteria; the treatment consisting primarily in isolation, confinement to bed, dieting and massage. The rest cure, or bed rest cure, was a 19th century treatment for many Mental disorders particularly Hysteria. Hysteria in its colloquial use describes a state of Mind, one of unmanageable Fear or Emotional excesses Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight His medical texts include Injuries of Nerves and Their Consequences (1872) and Fat and Blood (1877). Mitchell's disease (erythromelalgia) is named after him. Erythromelalgia, also known as Mitchell's disease (after Silas Weir Mitchell) red neuralgia or erythermalgia is a rare disorder in which blood vessels usually in the

In 1863 he wrote a clever short story, combining physiological and psychological problems, entitled The Case of George Dedlow, in the Atlantic Monthly Magazine. The Atlantic (formerly known as The Atlantic Monthly) is an American Magazine founded in Boston in 1857 Thenceforward, Dr Weir Mitchell, as a writer, divided his attention between professional and literary pursuits. In the former field, he produced monographs on rattlesnake poison, on intellectual hygiene, on injuries to the nerves, on neurasthenia, on nervous diseases of women, on the effects of gunshot wounds upon the nervous system, and on the relations between nurse, physician, and patient; while in the latter, he wrote juvenile stories, several volumes of respectable verse, and prose fiction of varying merit, which, however, gave him a leading place among the American authors of the close of the 19th century. Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous Snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus. Hygiene refers to practices associated with ensuring good health and cleanliness A nerve is an enclosed cable-like bundle of peripheral Axons (the long slender projections of Neurons. Neurasthenia is a psycho-pathological term first used by George Miller Beard in 1869 to denote a condition with symptoms of fatigue, Anxiety, Headache The term ballistic trauma (generally referred to by the type of weapon such as gunshot wound, etc A nurse is responsible—along with other Health care Professionals —for the treatment safety and recovery of acutely or chronically The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar His historical novels, Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker (1897), The Adventures of François (1898) and The Red City (1909), take high rank in this branch of fiction.

He was also Charlotte Perkins Gilman's doctor and his use of a rest cure on her provided the idea for "The Yellow Wallpaper", a short story in which the narrator is driven insane by her rest cure. Charlotte Perkins Gilman ( July 3 1860 – August 17 1935) was a prominent American Novelist, Writer of The rest cure, or bed rest cure, was a 19th century treatment for many Mental disorders particularly Hysteria. " The Yellow Wallpaper " is a 6000-word Short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in May 1892 in New England Magazine

Honors and recognition

Dr. Mitchell's eminence in science and letters was recognized by honorary degrees conferred upon him by several universities at home and abroad and by membership, honorary or active, in many American and foreign learned societies. In 1887 he was president of the Association of American Physicians and in 1908-09 president of the American Neurological Association. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS is a politically conservative Non-profit organization of Physicians medical professionals and Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The American Neurological Association, is a professional society with a mission of educating neurologists and physicians as well as increasing knowledge and enhancing treatment of diseases [1]

Terms

• Weir Mitchell skin — a red, glossy, perspiring skin seen in cases of incomplete irritative lesion of a nerve.
• Weir Mitchell treatment — a method of treating neurasthenia, hysteria, etc. The rest cure, or bed rest cure, was a 19th century treatment for many Mental disorders particularly Hysteria. , by absolute rest in bed, frequent and abundant feeding, and the systematic use of massage and electricity.
• Mitchell's disease — erythromelalgia. Erythromelalgia, also known as Mitchell's disease (after Silas Weir Mitchell) red neuralgia or erythermalgia is a rare disorder in which blood vessels usually in the

Dorland's Medical Dictionary (1938)

Publications

• A Catalogue of the Scientific and Literary Work of S. Dorland's is the brand name of a family of medical reference works (including dictionaries, spellers word books and spell-check software) in various media (including Weir Mitchell (Philadelphia, 1894)
• Talcott Williams, " Dr. Talcott Williams, (1849–1928 was an American journalist and educator born at Abeih Turkey, the son of Congregational missionaries. S. Weir Mitchell'" in the Century Magazine, volume lvii, (New York, 1898)
• Talcott Williams, in several articles in the Book News Monthly, volume xxvi, (Philadelphia, 1907)
• E. P. Oberholtzer, "Personal Memories of Weir Mitchell," in the Bookman, volume xxxix (New York, 1914)
• B. R. Tucker, S. The Century Magazine was first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City as a successor to Scribner's Ellis Paxson Oberholtzer (1868- ?) was an American biographer and historical writer born in Philadelphia, Pa The Bookman was a book review established in 1895 owned by the George H Benjamin Ricketson Tucker ( April 17, 1854 &ndash June 22, 1939) was a leading proponent of American Individualist anarchism Weir Mitchell (Boston, 1914)

External links

• Silas Weir Mitchell. WhoNamedIt.
• Works by Silas Weir Mitchell at Project Gutenberg
• Portrait of Silas Weir Mitchell by John Singer Sargent

Source

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone