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Article: Ask Dr. H.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune
- Article date:
- January 13, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Knight Ridder/Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Dr. Mitchell Hecht
Q: I'm doing genealogy research on my family's history. I found out that my great-grandfather died of "nervous prostration". Also my grandmother's cousin was afflicted with "St. Vitus' Dance." Could you please explain what these conditions are? _C.Y., Gretna, La.
A: Many of the illnesses in our past have unusual names _ generally for lack of a better description, and often refer more to the symptoms than the disease itself.
"Nervous prostration" referred to someone who had a nervous breakdown or who suffered extreme anxiety with depression. Believe it or not, one of the best remedies of the day was oat straw, in ...