Puerperal psychosis in America--1847.

Abstract

<h3>To the Editor.</h3> —I would like to comment on the article "Puerperal Psychosis: Phenomena and Diagnosis" by Brockington et al (Archives1981; 38:829-833). In their study of this disorder, the authors found an "excess of manic symptoms in the puerperal group" as compared with a control group of nonpuerperal psychotic women. Brockington et al note that "in the Victorian literature, reports of 'mania' were frequent; however, they were written before the distinction between dementia praecox and manic-depressive insanity was drawn." The majority of the references from this period cited by Brockington and colleagues are of European origin, with only one American study from 1859 noted.¹I have recently come across an earlier study on this subject published in the American psychiatric literature in 1847 in which MacDonald²reports on a group of 66 women with puerperal insanity. I should like to point out the "highlights" of this report