Prairie madness

Prairie madness

:"For the 1970s band, see Prairie Madness (band)."

Prairie madness is a term that describes an affliction that was common in the United States among white settlers of the Great Plains during the mid to late 1800s. Another common (though, technically incorrect) name for the affliction is "Prairie fever." Several famous victims of the disease of the colonial era include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson. The "madness" was a result of the extreme isolation experienced by former city dwellers and farmers more used to hilly and forested country. The affected individual would fixate on the fact that they were surrounded by hundreds of miles of prairie land, with no neighbors or anyone to talk to. When the perceived isolation became too much to bear, mental breakdown would occur. Breakdowns induced by prairie madness often led to starvation and suicide.

References

* Sandilands, John (1977) "Prairie Madness" "Western Canadian Dictionary and Phrase Book" University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, p. 35, ISBN 0-88864-021-8 [http://www.google.co.uk/books?id=iavmRGoehGMC "Western Canadian Dictionary and Phrase Book"] at Google Books
* Brebner, John Bartlet (1960) "Canada, a Modern History," Univ of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, p. 355 [http://worldcat.org/oclc/497697 OCLC 497697]
* Robertson, Heather (1973) "Grass Roots" James Lorimer & Co., Toronto p. 53, ISBN 0-88862-099-3 [http://www.google.co.uk/books?id=PXnMbTUD2SsC "Grass Roots"] from Google Books
* Silverman, Eliane L. (1984) "The Last Best West: women on the Alberta frontier, 1880-1930" Eden Press, Montréal, ISBN 0-920792-29-4
* Sterns, Robert (ed.) (2000) "Prairie Madness" "Illusions of Eden: Visions of the American Heartland" Columbus Museum of Art in partnership with Arts Midwest, Minneapolis, MN, ISBN 0-918881-404

See also

*Agoraphobia
*Cabin fever
*Catabolysis


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Prairie Madness (band) — Prairie Madness is a guitar/piano duo that existed in the 1960s and 70s in Los Angeles and Marin Country, California. Their self titled album and the single from that album Shame The Children were co produced by Matthew Fisher, Procol Harum… …   Wikipedia

  • Prairie — For other uses, see Prairie (disambiguation). Prairie in Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa, United States Prairies (UK: /ˈprɛər.i/, US: /ˈprɛr.i/) are considered part of the temperate gra …   Wikipedia

  • Michael Brecker discography — Discography As leader 1982: Cityscape 1987: Michael Brecker 1988: Don t Try This at Home 1990: Now You See It...Now You Don t 1996: Tales from the Hudson 1998: Two Blocks from the Edge 1999: Time Is of the Essence 2001: Nearness of You: The… …   Wikipedia

  • List of psychology topics — This page aims to list all topics related to psychology. This is so that those interested in the subject can monitor changes to the pages by clicking on Related changes in the sidebar. It is also to see the gaps in Wikipedia s coverage of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Matthew Fisher — (born Matthew Charles Fisher, 7 March 1946, Addiscombe, Croydon, England) is an English organist and singer songwriter, and was responsible for the organ sound on the 1967 single, A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum. Biography In addition to… …   Wikipedia

  • Bobby Jameson — Birth name Robert Parker Jameson Also known as Bobby James Chris Lucey Jameson Born April 20, 1945 (1945 04 20) (age 66) Geneva, Illinois, United States …   Wikipedia

  • performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical.       The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …   Universalium

  • Discographie pirate d'Iron Maiden — Le groupe de heavy metal traditionnel britannique Iron Maiden est sans doute l un des groupes disposant d une discographie pirate des plus impressionnantes. La majorité des enregistrements sont faits par des fans lors de concerts et échangés par… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Discographie pirate de Iron Maiden — Discographie pirate d Iron Maiden Le groupe de heavy metal traditionnel britannique Iron Maiden est sans doute l un des groupes disposant d une discographie pirate des plus impressionnantes. La majorité des enregistrements sont faits par des fans …   Wikipédia en Français

  • The Beast Strikes Back — Discographie pirate d Iron Maiden Le groupe de heavy metal traditionnel britannique Iron Maiden est sans doute l un des groupes disposant d une discographie pirate des plus impressionnantes. La majorité des enregistrements sont faits par des fans …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”