[Ads-l] Clinical depression 1920

[Bonnie Taylor-Blake]

I wonder whether we can see in these 1911 and 1920 medical texts (involving
human subjects and animal subjects, respectively) use of "[clinical]
depression" with the following specific sense of "depression."

[begin quote]

OED 5.d. 1803– Pathology. Lowering of the vital functions or powers; a
state of reduced vitality.

1803, Great depression..has without doubt lately shewn itself in a very
remarkable manner in the influenza.

1843, I aroused myself from the depression of nearly thirty hours'
sea-sickness.

1875, The inflammatory nature of the local affection was much more severe,
and the constitutional depression..more marked.

[end quote]

The experimental methods section for both 1920 studies that Victor has
mentioned specifies that "[t]he clinical condition of the animal was
closely observed. The rectal temperature, rate of respiration, pulse,
diarrhea, and vomitus, as well as the general appearance of the animal,
were noted" (p. 57). Whipple et al.'s use of "clinical depression" --
"There was a certain amount of clinical depression, but no serious shock"
-- is in line with a negative change in the animal's (bodily) condition or
general appearance, with "shock" referring to physiological shock.

However, as you've suggested, Garson, "depression" was certainly also used
in the 1920 text to signify reductions in physiological measures. For
example, "[t]here was but slight depression of the rectal temperature" (p.
96).

Steven's 1911 find (now far below) suggests that "clinical depression" was
also used to represent a physical decline after treatment. (In this case,
there was no physical decline.)


Did this specialized use of "[clinical] depression" (1911, 1920) lead to
"clinical depression" in the modern sense of a specific, well-defined mood
disorder?

This may be what Victor and Steven are suggesting. (I'm sure they'll speak
up if I've mischaracterized this.)

(I'm not a psychologist, but I play one on ADS-L.)

-- Bonnie


On Tue, Feb 20, 2024 at 4:00 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
wrote:

Excellent work, Victor and Steven.
> However, I wonder whether the term "depression" in these early
> citations might refer to the depression of blood pressure, i.e., the
> reduction of blood pressure. Also, "depression" might refer to
> "cardiac depression" - whatever that is.
>
> The text below is from different articles in the same volume
> containing the citation posted by Steven Losie. The cites suggest
> alternative interpretations for "depression".
>
> Date: June 17, 1911
> Periodical: The Medical Record
> Quote Page 1113
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The extract should be of use in peritonitis, in which condition we
> have a toxic depression of blood pressure.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Date: February 11, 1911
> Periodical: The Medical Record
> Quote Page 280
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Therapeutic indications: As a general tonic or bitter; in indigestion,
> cardiac depression, impaired peristalsis, pneumonia, phthisis,
> amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, impotence, some forms of paralysis, . . .
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Mon, Feb 19, 2024 at 4:56 PM Steven Losie <stevenlosie at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > The following instance appeared in a medical paper entitled "Deductions
> > from Clinical Experience in the Use of a Polyvalent Bacterial Vaccine" by
> > Dr. J.M. Van Cott, presented to the Medical Society of the State of New
> > York on 17 April 1911:
> >
> > [begin quote]
> > The effects lasted seventy-two hours, the only adverse one being muscular
> > discomfort. There was no evidence of clinical depression.
> > [end quote]
> >
> > Source: The Medical Record: A Weekly Journal of Medicine and Surgery (New
> > York, NY), Vol.79, Iss.16, p.746, col.1
> > Date: 22 Apr 1911
> > Article title: Society Reports. Medical Society of the State of New York.
> > Database: Google Books
> >
> https://books.google.com/books?id=M8U-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA746&dq=clinical+depression
>
>

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