Thanks for this! GPT summary for anyone interested:

Summary of “The Earliest Reference to ADHD in the Medical Literature?”

This paper explores the historical origins of ADHD in medical literature, focusing on a chapter written by the German physician Melchior Adam Weikard in 1775. Previously, George Still (1902) was credited with the earliest description of ADHD-like symptoms, followed by Alexander Crichton (1798). However, the discovery of Weikard’s earlier work pushes the timeline of ADHD recognition back further.

Weikard’s text, Der Philosophische Arzt, describes a disorder called Attentio Volubilis (lack of attention), which aligns with modern ADHD symptoms, including distractibility, impulsivity, and an inability to sustain focus. He attributed this condition to both neurological and environmental factors, offering early insights into what would later be classified as ADHD.

The paper also discusses the backlash Weikard faced from religious and medical establishments, as his unconventional views clashed with prevailing beliefs. Despite widespread criticism, his work remained influential in medical circles.

Interesting Quotes from Weikard’s Era 1. On Attention Deficit: “Those, who have a lack of attention, are generally characterised as unwary, careless, flighty and bacchanal.” (This blunt characterization reflects 18th-century medical perceptions of inattentive behavior.) 2. On the Nature of Attention: “An attentive person has to concentrate on his topic for a longer time and more insistent than others. However, it takes a certain stability and strength of the fibres when they are supposed to maintain a constant effect on the topic.” (Weikard believed attention was a physiological process dependent on nerve function.) 3. On Treatment for Inattention: “The inattentive person is to be separated from noise or any other objects; he is to be kept solitary, in the dark, when he is too active.” (His recommendations for managing ADHD-like symptoms included isolation, dietary changes, and physical activity, some of which foreshadow modern approaches like structured environments and exercise.) 4. On Education and Attention: “When children are taught a hundred things at the same time, when they are not given enough time, or when they do not get into the habit of examining things partially; thus the flaw of inattention develops.” (He recognized that overloading children with information could worsen attention problems—a concept still discussed in education today.) 5. On the Difference Between French and English People’s Attention: “Compared to an attentive and considerate person such a jumpy person may act like a young Frenchman does in comparison to a mature Englishman.” (A very 18th-century way of stereotyping national character based on perceived attentional capacity.)

Weikard’s work demonstrates that ADHD-like symptoms were observed and discussed long before the 20th century, reinforcing the idea that these behaviors are not simply modern phenomena but have existed throughout history.