A perplexing document in the early history of Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome: Melotti's rendition of a "Lecture of Charcot" (including a complete translation from the Italian with commentary)

J Hist Neurosci. 1999 Apr;8(1):5-20. doi: 10.1076/jhin.8.1.5.1779.

Abstract

In 1885, Dr. Guilio Melotti published an Italian translation of a lecture on "Convulsive Tics with Coprolalia and Echolalia" given by Jean-Martin Charcot. Although this lecture often has been cited as an authoritative statement of Charcot's view, until now it has not been translated into English. The lecture presents a number of statements that appear nowhere else in Charcot's published corpus, including some that seem to contradict Charcot's other pronouncements on maladie des tics. Although the Melotti-Charcot lecture may portray Charcot's position accurately in many passages, the article most likely is a compilation from a variety of sources.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article
  • Portrait

MeSH terms

  • France
  • History, 19th Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • Italy
  • Neurology / history*
  • Tourette Syndrome / history*
  • Translations

Personal name as subject

  • J M Charcot
  • G Melotti
  • G de la Tourette