Hypochondria as a Poetic Disease : Medicine and Ethics in the Case of an Early Nineteenth-Century Hungarian Poet

Medical knowledge reached a wider range of social strata in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Popular medical books described diseases how to cure them, press regularly addressed topic having healthy body. Meanwhile, representations perfect body became an increasingly important problem for neoclassical art. This case study investigates Dániel Berzsenyi (1776–1836), one Hungarian poets century, thought about human For him, representation was, on hand, artistic which raised questions concerning manners imitation and, other was associated with display virtues thus ethical discourse. gave account his illnesses, can be traced back hypochondria, private letter. His self-analysis has three layers. First, letter could read as part sensible epistolary novel. I argue that introduced himself hero, who ill because own uncontrollable emotions. Second, hypochondria context. Considering continued influence, Berzsenyi’s time, ancient doctrine bodily fluids, demonstrate this disease may have become mental illness poets. The reason is emotions entertained by man led emergence physical symptoms were hardly definable concept hypochondria. Third, one’s relationship moral issue. attempted assert superiority describing illness. Thus, also fit into context contemporary theoretical debates he involved. My paper shows aesthetics, ethics, medicine interconnected different forms circulated between forums arts forums.