The earliest recording of ADHD goes back to 1798 when the Scottish physician Sir Alexander Crichton (1763-1856), described what sounds very much like the inattentive subtype of ADHD, in his book: An inquiry into the nature and origin of mental derangement: comprehending a concise system of the physiology and pathology of the human mind and a history of the passions and their effects. In the chapter "Attention", Crichton described a "mental restlessness".
The following is an excerpt from Crichton’s book:
“The incapacity of attending with a necessary degree of constancy to any one object, almost always arises from an unnatural or morbid sensibility of the nerves, by which means this faculty is incessantly withdrawn from one impression to another. It may be either born with a person or it may be the effect of accidental diseases.
When born with a person it becomes evident at a very early period of life, and has a very bad effect, inasmuch as it renders him incapable of attending with constancy to any one object of education. But it seldom is in so great a degree as totally to impede all instruction; and what is very fortunate, it is generally diminished with age. In this disease of attention, if it can with propriety be called so, every impression seems to agitate the person, and gives him or her an unnatural degree of mental restlessness. People walking up and down the room, a slight noise, in the same, the mowing a, the shutting a door suddenly, a flight excess of heat or of cold, to much light or to little light, all destroy constant attention in such patients. In as much as it is easily is exited by every impression. They have a particular name for the state of their nerves, which is expressive enough of their feelings. They say they have the fidgets.
Every public teacher must have observed that there are many to whom the dryness and difficulties of the Latin and Greek grammars are so disgusting that neither the terrors of the rod, nor the indulgence of any kind intreaty can cause them to give their attention to them.”
Michael Crichton
In literary terms there have been references to problems with inattention, motor restlessness and poor impulse control dating back to Shakespeare. He alluded to King Henry VIII having problems with attention span.
In more recent history, ADHD symptoms were recorded in the mid 1800s in children with nervous system injuries and diseases. In 1848, a German physician wrote a children’s story, “Fidgety Phil”, describing hyperactive behaviour.
The Story of Fidgety Philip "Let me see if Philipp can Be a little gentleman; Let me see if he is able To sit still for once at the table." Thus Papa bade Phil behave; And Mama looked very grave. But Fidgety Phil, He won't sit still; He wriggles, And giggles, And then, I declare, Swings backwards and forwards, And tilts up his chair, Just like any rocking horse-- "Philipp! I am getting cross!" See the naughty, restless child Growing still more rude and wild, Till his chair falls over quite. Philipp screams with all his might, Catches at the cloth, but then That makes matters worse again. Down upon the ground they fall, Glasses, plates, knives, forks and all. How Mama did fret and frown, When she saw them tumbling down! And Papa made such a face! Philipp is in sad disgrace . . ."
Fidgety Phil has had manyincarnations in popular culture, including Dennis thMenaceand Bart Simpson.
