History of hysteria: Ilza Veith’s legacy

Abstract

The 1965 book Hysteria: The History of a Disease, by the German American historian Ilza Veith, certainly represented a milestone in the historiography of hysteria. Praised at first as an innovative work, unprecedented in its comprehensiveness and scholarship, it became, over time, object of multiple criticisms regarding its omissions, its psychoanalytic bias, and the teleological character of its approach. This article aims at pondering these contrasting assessments and discussing the historical significance of Veith’s work from a contemporary perspective. To this end, a brief overview of historical studies on hysteria before Veith is outlined. This overview is followed by a descriptive and critical presentation of her work, a discussion of certain aspects of its reception and, as conclusion, an evaluation of her contribution and legacy to this research field.