The Psycho-somatic Syndrome of Spurious Pregnancy after the Menopause.

Spurious pregnancy (false pregnancy or pseudocyesis) constitutes a subject of considerable practical importance not only for the general practitioner and obstetrician but also for the psychiatrist, as it presents one of the most impressive examples of the influence of emotional mechanisms on physical processes. The occurrence of this condition in humans and animals has attracted attention throughout the ages, one of the earliest descriptions being found in the writings of Hippocrates. Paddock, who in 1928 made a survey of the literature on that subject viewed from the obstetric aspect, quotes various authors, among them James Y. Simpson and Montgomery (1863). The psychological significance of the syndrome, however, has not received adequate attention. While some authors maintain that pseudocyesis is found mainly in women of the 25-35 age period, Simpson and Montgomery emphasize its more frequent association with the climacteric period. Paddock maintains that most of the cases reported were young women. He regards false pregnancy at the climacteric as part of the general menopausal syndrome. Maranon (1929) supports Simpson and Montgomery in their view that the frequency of the condition is highest at the climacteric and classifies the condition as a metabolic disturbance originating from emotional causes. " In women whose desire to remain young makes them forget how old they are