Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy [1621]
Excerpts taken from Burton, Robert. Anatomy of Melancholy. New York: Tudor 1920.
MEMBER 3
[148] HAVING thus briefly anatomized the body and soul of man; as a preparative to the rest, I may now freely proceed to treat of my intended object to most men's capacity, and after many ambages perspicuously define what this Melancholy is, shew his name and differences. The name is imposed from the matter, and disease denominated from the material cause, as Bruel observes, Melancholia, a sort of melaina {black) chole (choler), from black Choler. And whether it be a cause or an effect, a disease, or symptom let Donatus Altomarus and Salvianus decide, I will not contend about it. It hath several descriptions, notations, and definitions. Fracastorius, in his second book of intellect, calls those melancholy, whom abundance of that same depraved humour of black choler hath so misaffec!ed, that they become mad thence, and dote in most things, or in all, belonging to election, will, or other manifest operations of the understanding. Melanelius (out of Galen, Ruffus, Aetius) describes it to be a bad and peevish disease, which makes men degenerate into beasts: Galen, a privation or infection of the middle cell of the head, &c., defining it from the part affected, which Hercules de Saxonia approves, calling it a depravation of the principal function: Fuschius, Arnoldus, Guianerius, and others: by reason of black choler, Paulus adds. Halyabbas simply calls it a commotion of the mind; Aretreus, a perpetual anguish of the soul, fastened on one thing, without an ague; which definition of his Mercurialis taxeth: but AElianus Montaltus defends for sufficient and good. The common sort define it to be a kind of dotage without a fever, having for his ordinary companions fear and sadness, without any apparent occasion. So doth Laurentius, Piso, Donatus Altomarus, Jacchinus (on Rhasis}, Valesius, Fuchsius, &c., which common definition, howsoever approved by most, Hercules de Saxonia will not allow of, nor David Grusius; he holds it insufficient, as rather shewing what it is not, than what it is: as omit- ting the specifical difference, the phantasy and brain: but I descend to
[149] particulars. The most general class is dotage, or anguish of the mind, saith Aretreus, of a principal part, Hercules de Saxonia adds, to distinguish it from cramp and palsy, and such diseases as belong to the outward sense and motions; depraved, to distinguish it from folly and madness (which Montaltus makes the suffocation of the mind, to separate) in which those functions are not depraved, but rather abolished ; without an ague, is added by all, to sever it from phrenzy, and that melancholy which is in a pestilent fever. Fear and Sorrow make it differ from madness: without a cause is lastly inserted, to specify it from all other ordinary passions of Fear and Sorrow. We properly call that dotage, as Laurentius interprets it, when some one principal faculty of the mind,as imagination, or reason, is corrupted, as all melancholy persons have. It is without a fever, because the humour is most part cold and dry, contrary to putrefactIon. Fear & Sorrow are the true characters, and inseparable companions, of most melancholy, not all, as Her- cules de Saxonia well excepts; for to some it is most pleasant, as to such as laugh most part; some are bold again, and free from all manner of fear and grief, as hereafter sha1l be declared.
SUBSECTION
I -Continent, inward, antecedent, next Causes, and how the Body works on the
Mind
[318] As a purly hunter, I have hitherto beaten about the circuit of the forest of this microcosm, and followed only those outward adventitious causes. I will now break into the inner rooms, and rip up the antecedent immediate causes which are there to be found. For as the distraction of the mind, amongst other outward causes & perturbations, alters the temperature of the body, so the distraction and distemper of the body will cause a distemperature of the soul; & 'tis hard to decide which of these two do more harm to the other. Plato, Cyprian, & some others, as I have formerly said, lay the greatest fault upon the soul, excusing the body; others again, accusing the body, excuse the soul, as a principal agent. Their reasons are, because the manners do follow the temperature of the body, as Galen proves in his book of that subject, Prosper Calenius, Jason Pratensis, Lemnius, and many others. And that which Gualter hath commented is most true; concupiscence and original sin, inclinations, and bad humours, are radical in every one of us, causing these perturbations, affections, and several distempers, offering many times violence unto the soul. Every man is tempted by his own concupiscence; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, and rebelleth against the spirit, as our Apostle teacheth us: that methinks the soul hath the better plea against the body, which so forcibly inclines us, that we cannot resist; we are neither able to make head against it nor struggle as we should. How the body, being material, worketh upon the immaterial soul, by mediation of humours & spirits which participate of both, and ill disposed organs, Cornelius Agrippa hath discoursed, Levinus, Lemnius, Perkins, & T. Bright, in his Treatise of Melancholy. For as anger, fear, sorrow, obtrectation, emulation, &c. saith Lemnius, cause grievous [319] diseases in the body, so bodily diseases affect the soul by consent. Now the chiefest causes proceed from the heart, humours, spirits: as they are purer, or impurer, so is the mind, & equally suffers, as a lute out of tune; if one string or one organ be distempered, all the rest miscarry;
The body, by yesterday's excess
o'erladen, Weighs down with it the soul.
The body is the home of the soul, her house, abode, and stay; and as a torch gives a better light, a sweeter smell, according to the matter it is made of, so doth our soul perform all her actions better or worse, as her organs are disposed; or as wine savours of the cask wherein it is kept, the soul receives a tincture from the body through which it works. We see this in old men, children, Europeans, Asians, hot and cold climes. Sanguine are merry, Melancholy sad, Phlegmatick dull, by reason of abundance of those humours, and they cannot resist such passions which are inflicted by them. For in this infirmity of human nature, as Melancthon declares, the understanding is so tied to & captivated by his inferior senses, that without their help he cannot exercise his functions, and the will, being weakened, hath but a small power to restrain those outward parts, but suffers herself to be overruled by them; that I must needs conclude with Lemnius, spirits and humours do most harm in troubling the soul. How should a man choose but be cholerick and angry, that hath his body so clogged with abundance of gross humours? or melancholy, that is so inwardly disposed ? That thence comes then this malady, Madness, Apoplexies, Lethargies, &c. it may not be denied.
THERE is almost no part of the body,
which, being distempered, doth not cause this malady, as the Brain and his
parts, Heart, Liver, Spleen, Stomack, Matrix or Womb, Pylorus, Myrach,
Mesentery, Hypochondries, Meseraick veins; and in a word, saith Arculanus, there
is no part which causeth not Melancholy, either because it is adust, or doth not
expel the superfluity of the nutriment. Savanarola is of the same opinion,
that Melancholy is engendered in each particular part, and Crato. Gordonius, who
is worth them all, confirms as much, putting the matter of Melancholy
sometimes in the Stomack, Liver, Heart, Brain, Spleen, Myrach, Hypochondries,
when as the melancholy humour resides there, or the Liver is not well cleansed
from melancholy blood.
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SUBSECTION I -Symptoms, or Signs of Melancholy in the Body
[325] PARRHASIUS, a painter of Athens, amongst those Olynthian captives Philip of Macedon brought home to sell, bought one very old man; and when he had him at Athens, put him to extreme torture and torment, the better by his example to express the pains and passions of his Prometheus, whom he was then about to paint. I need not be so barbarous, inhumane, curious, or cruel, for this purpose to torture any poor melancholy man; their symptoms are plain, obvious and familiar, there needs no such accurate observation or far-fetcht object, they delineate themselves, they voluntarily bewray themselves, they are too frequent in all places, I meet them still as I go, they cannot conceal it, their grievances are too well known, I need not seek far to describe them.
Symptoms therefore are either universal or particular, saith Gordonius, to persons, to species. Some signs are secret, some manifest, some in the body, some in the mind; and diversely vary, according to the inward or outward causes, Capivaccius: or from stars, according to Jovianus Pontanus, and celestial influences, or from the humours diversely mixt. As they are hot, cold, natural, unnatural, intended, or remitted, so will Aetius have diversity of melancholy signs. Laurentius ascribes them to their several temperatures, delights, natures, inclinations, continuance of time, as they are simple or mixt with other diseases; as the causes are divers, so must the signs be almost infinite. And as wine produceth divers effects, or that herb Tortocolla in Laurentius, which makes some laugh, some weep, some sleep, some dance, [326] some sing, some howl, some drink, &c., so doth this our melancholy humour work several signs in several parties.
But to confine them, these general symptoms may be reduced to those of the Body or the Mind. Those usual signs, appearing in the bodies of such as are melancholy, be these, cold and dry, or they are hot and dry, as the humor is more or less adust. From these first qualities arise many other second, as that of colour, black, swarthy, pale, ruddy, &c., some are, as Montaltus observes out of Galen, very red and high coloured. Hippocrates, in his book On Insanity and Melancholy, reckons up these signs, that they are lean, withered, hollow-eyed, look old, wrinkled, harsh, much troubled with wind, and a griping in their bellies, or belly-ache, belch often, dry bellies and hard, dejected looks, flaggy beards, singing of the ears, vertigo, lightheaded, little or no sleep, & that interrupt, terrible and fearful dreams. Sister Anne, what dreams be these that confound and appall me! The same symptoms are repeated by Melanelius (in his Book of Melancholy, collected out of Galen, Ruffus, Aetius,) by Rhasis, Gordonius, & all the Juniors, continual, sharp, & stinking belchings, as if their meat in their stomack were putrefied, or that they had eaten fish, dry bellies, absurd & interrupt dreams, & many phantastical visions about their eyes, vertiginous, apt to tremble, & prone to Venery. Some add palpitation of the heart, cold sweat, as usual symptoms, and a leaping in many parts of the body, a kind of itching, saith Laurentius, on the superfices of the skin, like a flea-biting sometimes. Montaltus puts fixed eyes and much twinkling of their eyes for a sign ; & so doth Avicenna, they are very red-faced, &c. ; they stutter most part, which he took out of Hippocrates' Aphorisms. Rhasis makes headache and a binding heaviness for a principal token, much leaping of wind about the skin, as well as stutting, or tripping in speech, &c., hollow eyes, gross veins, & broad lips. To some too, if they be far gone, mimical gestures are too familiar, laughing, grinning, fleering, murmuring, talking to themselves, with strange mouths and faces, inarticulate voices, exclamations, &c. And although they be commonly lean, hirsute, uncheerful in countenance, withered, and not so pleasant to behold, by reason of those continual fears, griefs, and vexations, dull, heavy, lazy, restless, unapt to go about any business: yet their memories are most part good, they have happy wits, and excellent apprehensions. Their hot and dry brains make them they cannot sleep, they have mighty and often watchings, sometimes waking for a month, a year, together. Hercules de Saxonia faithfully averreth, that he hath heard his mother swear, she slept not for seven months together: Tricavellius [327] speaks of one that waked 50 days, and Sckenkius hath examples of two years, and all without offence. In natural actions their appetite is greater than their concoction, as Rhasis hath It, they covet to eat, but cannot digest. And although they do eat much, yet they are lean, ill liking, saith Aretreus, withered & hard, much troubled with costiveness, crudities, oppilations, spitting, belching, &c. Their pulse is rare & slow, except it be of the carotides, which is very strong; but that varies according to their intended passions or perturbations, as Struthius hath proved at large. To say truth, in such chronick diseases the pulse is not much to be respected, there being so much superstition in it, as Crato notes, and so many differences in Galen, that he dares say they may not be observed, or understood, of any man.
ARCULANUS will have these symptoms to be infinite, as indeed they are, varying according to the parties, for scarce is there one of a thousand that dotes alike. Some few of greater note I will point at; and, amongst the rest, Fear and Sorrow, which, as they are frequent causes, so, if they persevere long, according to Hippocrates' and Galen's Aphorisms, they are most assured signs, inseparable companions, and characters of melancholy; of present melancholy, and habituated, saith Montaltus, and common to them all, as the said Hippocrates, Galen, Avicenna, and all Neotericks, hold. But as hounds many times run away with a false [328] cry, never perceiving themselves to be at a fault, so do they; For Diocles of old, (whom Galen confutes), and, amongst the Juniors, Hercules de Saxonia, with Lod. Mercatus, take just exceptions at this Aphorism of Hippocrates, 'tis not always true, or so generally to be understood. Fear and Sorrow are no common symptoms to all melancholy; upon more serious consideration, I find some (saith he) that are not so at all. Some indeed are sad, and not fearful; some fearful, and not sad; some neither fearful nor sad; some both. Four kinds he excepts, fanatical persons, such as were Cassandra, 'Manto, Nicostrata, Mopsus, Proteus, the Sibyls, whom Aristotle confesseth to have been deeply melancholy. Baptista Porta seconds him, they were stirred by black bile. Demoniacal persons, & such as speak strange languages, are of this rank; some Poets; such as laugh always, and think themselves Xings, Cardinals, &c. sanguine they are, pleasantly disposed most part, and so continue. Baptista Porta confines fear and sorrow to them that are cold; but lovers, Sibyls, enthusiasts, he wholly excludes. So that I think I may truly conclude, they are not always sad and fearful, but usually so, and that without a cause; although not all alike, (saith Altomarus), yet all likely fear, some with an extraordinary and a mighty fear, Aretreus. Many fear death, and yet, in a contrary humour, make away themselves. Some are afraid that heaven will fall on their heads: some afraid they are damned, or shall be. They are troubled with scruples of Conscience, distrusting God's mercies, think they shall go certainly to Hell, the Devil will have them, & make great lamentation, Jason Pratensis. Fear of Devils, death, that they shall be sick of some such or such disease, ready to tremble at every object, they shall die themselves forthwith, or that some of their dear friends or near allies are certainly dead; imminent danger, loss, disgrace, still torment others, &c. that they are all glass, and therefore they will suffer no man to come near them; that they are all cork, as light as feathers; others as heavy as lead; some are afraid their heads will fall off their shoulders, that they have frogs in their bellies, &c. Montanus speaks of one that durst not walk alone from home, for fear he should swoon, or die. A second fears every man he meets will rob him, quarrel with him, or kill him. A third dares not venture to walk alone, for fear he should meet the Devil, a thief, be sick, fears all old women as witches, & every black dog or cat he sees he suspecteth to be a Devil, every person comes near him is maleficiated, every creature, all intend to hurt him, seek his ruin. Another dares not go over a bridge, come near a pool, rock, steep hill, lie in a chamber where cross beams are, for fear he be tempted to hang, [329] drown, or precipitate himself. If he be in a silent auditory, as at a sermon, he is afraid he shall speak aloud at unawares, some thing undecent, unfit to be said. If he be locked in a close room, he is afraid of being stifled for want of air, and still carries biscuit, Aquavitre, or some strong waters about him, for fear of fainting, or being sick; or if he be in a throng, middle of a Church, multitude, where he may not well get out, though he sit at ease, he is so misaffected. He will freely promise, undertake any business beforehand, but, when it comes to be performed, he dare not adventure, but fears an infinite number of dangers, disasters, &c. Some are afraid to be burned, or that the ground will sink under them, or swallow them quick, or that the King will call them in question for some fact they never did, & that they shall surely be executed. The terror of such a death troubles them, and they fear as much, & are equally tormented in mind, as they that have committed a murder, and are pensive without a cause, as if they were now presently to be put to death. They are afraid of some loss, danger, that they shall surely lose their lives, goods, and all they have, but why they know not. Trincavellius had a patient that would needs make away himself, for fear of being hanged, and could not be persuaded, for three years together, but that he had killed a man. Plater hath two other examples of such as feared to be executed without a cause. If they come in a place where a robbery, theft, or any such offence, hath been done, they presently fear they are suspected, & many times betray themselves without a cause. Louis XI., the French King, suspected every man a traitor that came about him, durst trust no officer. Some fear all alike, some certain men, and cannot endure their companies, are sick in them, or if they be from home. Some suspect treason still, others are afraid of their dearest and nearest friends (Melanelius out of Galen, Ruffus &c. ) , & dare not be alone in the dark, for fear of Hobgoblins and Devils: he suspects everything he hears or sees to be a Devil, or enchanted; and imagineth a thousand chimeras and visions, which to his thinking he certainly sees, bugbears, talks with black men, ghosts, goblins, &c.
The very breezes fright him, every sound Excites him. ( VIRGIL)
Another through bashfulness, suspicion, & timorousness, will not be seen abroad, loves darkness as life, & cannot endure the light, or to sit in lightsome places; his hat still in his eyes, he will neither see nor be seen by his good will, Hippocrates, On Insanity & Melancholy. He dare not come in company for fear he should be misused, disgraced; overshoot himself in gesture or speeches, or be sick.
[339] But the most immediate symptoms proceed from the Temperature itself, and the Organical parts, as Head, Liver, Spleen, Meseraick veins, Heart, Womb, Stomack, &c. and most especially from distemperature of spirits (which, as Hercules de Saxonia contends, are wholly immaterial), or from the four humours in those seats, whether they be hot or cold, natural, unnatural, innate or adventitious, intended or remitted, simple or mixt, their diverse mixtures, and several adustions, combinations, which may be as diversely varied as those four first qualities in Clavius, and produce as many several symptoms and monstrous fictions as wine doth effects, which, as Andreas Bachius observes, are infinite. Of greater note be these.
Robert Burton
February 8, 1577- January 25, 1640
Robert Burton was born February 8, 1577 in Leicestershire in England. He was the fourth child to his father, the squire of Lindley. Burton’s interest in medicine and cognitive processes may be due in part to his mother’s influence (O’Connell, 5). His mother, Dorothy Burton, dealt with many of the sick people in her village. Many of the sick came to her for care, especially for herbs, medicines, and cures. At his period in time however, what Burton learned from his mother remained tied to folk medicine practiced in previous centuries. This is evidenced by his writing in the Anatomy of Melancholy. When he was young, Burton often experienced troubles with his schoolmasters. He often described them as tyrannical and as a result he remained bitter about this into his adult years. In his book, he addresses the issue of the treatment of children, especially in school. At the age of sixteen, Burton attended Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1593. This university was directed towards preparing students to become clergyman. He remained at this university for six years before being becoming a fellow at Christ Church College. Strangely, it took Burton nine years to receive his bachelor’s degree. Evidence suggests that Burton took time off to deal with a case of melancholy, or as we would call it, depression (O’Connell, 8). This may have also contributed to his interest in writing the Anatomy of Melancholy. After returning to school he received his bachelor of arts in 1602 and his masters in 1605. He then fulfilled his duty as a clergyman by beginning work in the nearby parish of St. Thomas. Burton showed a great deal of interest in astrology and its effects on human emotion and health. While at the parish, he wrote his famous piece the Anatomy of Melancholy, published in 1621. Soon after he published his work he realized that his calling was not in the clergy but rather in treating the sick and those inflected with melancholy (O’Connell, 25). Until his death in 1640 Burton traveled around England treating those inflicted with melancholy. He documented cases and symptoms while traveling and published more editions of his original book with these new insights. Burton never received any formal training in medicine, which makes his book even more amazing.
Robert Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy is closely related to cognitive thinking and certain aspects of psychology. The Anatomy has a moral aspect in terms of its psychology, as did many of the works at the time. During the seventeenth century the Anatomy of Melancholy was very popular because of its therapeutic use (O’Connell, 34). This book contributed to the wellness of many people in that era. The immediate cause of melancholy was an imbalance of black bile, a physical cause. However, the most frequent psychological cause was fear and grief (Babb, 3). Throughout the book, Burton uses information on melancholy compiled from many other authors and sources. Burton interjects many insightful views as to the causes and treatments of melancholy or depression. Anatomy, although still dependent on the views of Galen and his four humors, brought fourth many new ideas about the body and mind working together. Sir William Osler, a physician, called it “the greatest medical treatise written by a layman”(O’Connell, 36). Burton’s thoughts and ideas, some of which are not correct, still provide a forerunner to many the basic understanding of depression and aspects of psychology that we see today. Gardiner writes, “Bergan Evans described Burton as a prescient ‘psychiatrist’ who foreshadowed twentieth-century discoveries”(374). The Anatomy of Melancholy is a collection of different variations, symptoms, causes, and treatments of the disease of melancholy. In addition, he provides his views on the human mind, soul, and body. Burton’s book provided the most comprehensive collection of treatments for people in the seventeenth century. Some important ideas that Burton brought to the table in terms of psychology are continuity between mind and body, interpersonal relationships, the patient’s role in healing, and many others.
Burton throughout his book preaches about both the mind and body in different aspects in the disease of melancholy. This is quite an important aspect of being healthy in his view and for many people today. Gardiner claims, “He stresses, the interaction of mind and body at all times”(379). Burton writes, “For as the distraction of the mind, amongst other outward causes and perturbations, alters the temperature of the body, so the distraction and distemper of the body will cause a distemperature of the soul, tis hard to decide which of these two do more harm than the other” (I: 374). Burton understands that in order to live a healthy life, both mind and body must be in order. If a person is undergoing stress or some type of anxiety it is obvious that this will in turn affect the person’s body. This could happen in the form of lack of sleep, possibly a headache, and even a greater susceptibility to sickness. Conversely, if a person has a problem with his body in terms of a sickness or injury it could impair the mind. A person may lose focus on tasks and be unable to perform important tasks. Babb adds, “Since Renaissance thinkers recognize body and mind, melancholy is both a psychological and a medical term”(2). Therefore, it is clear that Burton had a great insight to the thought mind and body should be healthy for optimal functioning. This is just one of the many insightful contributions Burton made to health at the time.
Burton points out the fact that relationships are important to mental health. Gadriner supports this point writing, “Burton defines people both in terms of their internal drives and in terms of inter personal relationships. To be human is to be in contact with others”(380). Gardiner’s claim very much reflects Burton’s attitude toward healthy living. “If it be idleness hath causes this infirmity, or that he perceive himself given to solitariness to walk alone, let him by all means avoid it”(Burton, II: 105). From this example one can see that Burton has insight to one of the causes of melancholy. Today people can see that loneliness and lack of friendships can causes depression. This is much the same in Burton’s case. He realizes that when people stay to themselves, it can often lead to problems, manifesting itself in melancholy. His advice: avoid loneliness, and it can be inferred that people should choose to be with each other. On the same token, Anatomy addresses the fact that bad relationships can cause melancholy. Burton tells us that love is an aspect contained inside and outside of marriage. When love is not controlled it can lead to jealousy, which in turn could lead to murder and rape. This especially occurs in an occurrence of unfaithfulness (Burton, II: 54). The relationship between men and women is a dynamic system; this is pointed out in the book. If the trust is broken and pain is inflicted, Burton tells us that melancholy can ensue. “Personal relationships can both cause and cure melancholy”(Gardiner, 380).
Through analysis of Burton’s book, another insight into psychology is found. Social position and conditioning from the environment can lead to psychiatric symptoms, in his case melancholy (Gardiner, 381). In Anatomy of Melancholy, Burton clearly shows the relationship between where a person stands in a social structure and how it affects him psychologically. Burton writes, “This humor will imprint in melancholy men the objects most answerable to their condition of life” (I: 404). He had the great understanding to see that a person’s occupation and living situation can lead him or her to fall into a bout of melancholy or depression. If, for instance, a person is not happy with his or her job and is stuck in a routine, it is a good possibility that this person may fall into depression. In addition, if a person is not making the kind of money he wishes and cannot provide for his family, there is also a large chance he may have ill psychological effects. Burton’s observation on social position can easily be applied to society in his time and in ours as well. Secondly, Burton has another intuitive notion as to how environmental conditioning can lead to mental problems. In Burton’s case he speaks about children, “Bad parents, stepmothers, tutors, masters, teachers, too rigorous, too severe, too remiss are often fountains and furthers of this disease” (I: 333). Children obviously are susceptible to the people and environment around them more than adults. Burton, possibly though his own experience, tells us that if people are too harsh on children and do not allow them to grow it can lead to malevolent symptoms in the future. The way these people treat the children contributes to their growth and development. He clearly knows that children must be nurtured in order for them to avoid melancholy and other psychological disorders. Once again, Burton makes another important contribution to the overall thinking in psychology.
Another of Burton’s ideas that contributes to the field of psychology and even medicine is that disorders cannot be overcome by the patient alone. Gardiner asserts, “Generally Burton emphasizes the supportive therapy which the physician or friend can provide”(384). All through the Anatomy, Burton stresses the need for the patient to seek help in the form of a physician and also a friend. For Burton, melancholy was an overwhelming disorder that could not be treated with out support from others. “When the patient of himself is not able to resist or overcome these heart-eating passions, his friends or physician must be ready to supply that which is wanting”(Burton, II: 109). This quote exemplifies Burton’s message that is clear in the Anatomy of Melancholy. He knows that treatment of melancholy and other disorders require the intervention from people close to the patient; people the patient can trust. In his opinion, the friend should be able to help the patient by being compassionate to his needs and being able to provide an outlet, possibly as a stress reliever (Gardiner, 384). Also, he sees that the physician should be used for the primary care of the patient, advising him as to the right treatment. In Burton’s day the treatment would consist of herbs or simply working with the mindset of the patient. Burton stresses the importance of the friends and physician working together to maximize the patient’s care (Burton, II: 108). Clearly, Burton made a simple yet important contribution to patient care namely the patient needs the help of others.
Throughout Anatomy of Melancholy it is possible to see some of the greatest psychiatric ideas from the seventeenth century. Babb asserts, “His medical ideas were those held by most physicians of his time, and there was no better psychiatry than Burton’s” (73). Obviously, many of the views that Burton had, especially in terms of the four humors and aspects of astrology do not hold up, however he developed thoughts useful even today. Although not always mentioned, Burton was an innovator, mixing the ideas of the old with his own new and bold thoughts. Therefore, Burton’s work Anatomy of Melancholy made a great contribution to psychology and medicine during the seventeenth century and is still helpful today. “The Anatomy does not, like later scientific works, lose its meaning with the passing of the years”(Babb, 78).
Burton, Robert. Anatomy of Melancholy. New York: Tudor 1927. First English edition printed in 1920.
Burton, Robert. Anatomy of Melancholy. 3 vols. Great Britain: Dent & Sons. First English edition printed in 1920.
Gardiner, Judith Kegan. “Elizabethan Psychology and Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy.” Journal of the History of Ideas. 38:3 (1977): 373-388.
O’ Connell, Michael. Robert Burton. Boston: Twayne 1986Image taken from <http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~rlblair/burton.html>