Bernard Pyne Grenfell: Papyrologist, Professor, "Lunatic"
The purpose of this article is threefold. First, it provides biographical information about B. P. Grenfell and his afflictions by narrating multiple episodes of incarceration in lunatic asylums, based on his medical records and available archival material. Most readers of this journal have benefited...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
[publisher not identified]
2023
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| In: |
TC
Year: 2023, Volume: 28, Pages: 83-110 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The purpose of this article is threefold. First, it provides biographical information about B. P. Grenfell and his afflictions by narrating multiple episodes of incarceration in lunatic asylums, based on his medical records and available archival material. Most readers of this journal have benefited from Grenfell’s scholarship and studied the texts he and A. S. Hunt edited, but few are aware of the severity of his illness. Second, it attempts to clarify the nature of this illness and its effect on Grenfell’s career and collegial relationships. One scholar has claimed that Grenfell was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, but a comparison with modern psychiatric diagnostic guides suggests that his episodes of psychosis may have been the result of a mood disorder or a multitude of other ailments. A brief portrait of British insane asylums in the 1900s and the societal perception of their patients helps explain the dissolution of Grenfell and Hunt’s harmonious relationship. Last, this article briefly addresses current mental health concerns within the academy and makes a modest appeal for empathy and compassion toward our colleagues who suffer with mental health problems. By discussing the nature and severity of Grenfell’s illness in light of his accomplishments, this article seeks to diminish the stigma surrounding mental illness in the academy. (Revised 30 November 2023) |
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| ISSN: | 1089-7747 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: TC
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