‘Febrile Anxiety’, by Robert James (1745)

Abstract

The current class of psychiatric conditions called ‘Anxiety Disorders’ was constructed during the 20th century. Before 1900, its clinical components were conceptualized differently: some were not considered as diseases at all and others were looked after by physicians (not alienists). Whether it can be claimed that the complaints included under the ‘Anxiety Disorders’ have always existed, that is, constitute a form of ‘natural kind’, is a moot point that needs further historical investigation. This is because psychiatric complaints (mental symptoms) are no more than culturally configured segments of biological or symbolic information. Therefore, symptom-invariance or -perdurance can be explained by either biological or cultural factors. This can only be resolved by studying symptoms individually. Classic Text No. 97 shows how ‘Anxiety’ was conceptualized during the 18th century.