Catatonia: Faces in the Fire

Abstract

It is impossible to examine all the historical subtypes of schizophrenia, with the kind of attention they might deserve. Nevertheless, we will attempt the study of one major subtype, whose problematic roots pre-date twentieth-century schizophrenia. Namely, we will examine a schizophrenia subtype, emerging from a concept earlier proposed by Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum in 1874: catatonia. And, as we shall see, as the twentieth century unfolded, descriptions of catatonia were increasingly accompanied by a narrative of disappearance. This will reveal much that is illustrative about the kind of problems incorporated into schizophrenia’s conceptualisation. It will also reveal more of the contradictions, ambiguities, and inconsistencies upheld and tolerated by the concept’s supporters.