Comment in: Myalgic encephalomyelitis. [J R Soc Med. 1991]
Comment on: Myalgic encephalomyelitis: an alternative theory. [J R Soc Med. 1990]
I am pleased that Dr Wilson (August 1990 JRSM, p481) has paid me the compliment of giving my article on the vexed topic of ‘myalgic encephalomyelitis’ (April 1989 JRSM, p 215) serious attention, and echoes our call’ for a ‘new approach’ to the problem, based on an absence of prejudice and a sound clinical and social history. He also notes the parallels between neurasthenia and ‘ME’, although the former was not, as he writes, first described in 18842. However, I only wish I could follow the rest of his arguments so clearly:
Dr Wilson states that I failed to realize that ‘about 100%’ of patients have an allergic diathesis and an allergic family history. I was indeed unaware of this remarkable finding. Unfortunately, I have been unable to trace the two sources cited for this observation, one an American paperback, the other a society newsletter. Similarly, I am afraid that neither I nor any of my colleagues have ever met anyone suffering from ‘Alternate Multiple Personality’. Perhaps this was because I was again unaware of the relevant literature. However, in my defence I would not otherwise have known that the two references quoted, namely Dr Wilson’s paper on allergic disease, multiple personality and dowsing, and his paper on possession and multiple personality, are actually about chronic fatigue syndrome. Similarly, I would not have known that an article in the Christian Parapsychologist called ‘Deliverance and dowsing’ is on the psychopathology of allergy and ME, nor that information on treatment of ME would be published in a series of titles beginning with ‘Current theological perspectives on possession. It is becoming harder to keep up with the relevant literature.
You can read the rest of this comment here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1293160/pdf/jrsocmed00126-0074c.pdf
See the article “Myalgic encephalomyelitis: an alternative theory.” in volume 83 on page 481.
See letter “Myalgic encephalomyelitis.” on page 633.
See the reply “The author replies” on page 183a.
Source: Wessely S. Myalgic encephalomyelitis. J R Soc Med. 1991 Mar;84(3):182-3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1293160/