The Glass Delusion
I'm afraid I've forgotten who pointed me towards this, but it's fascinating: an article on a delusion that as far as I know has now disappeared - that the sufferer is made of glass.
"Possibly the first case of a man believing his whole body to be made of glass was the French king, Charles IV, who allegedly refused to allow people to touch him, and wore reinforced clothing to protect himself."
One poor man was supposedly cured of his obsession by a severe thrashing from the doctor.
Glass figures from the British Museum
Comments
Oh gosh, I read this too - and also can't remember where. One of the sufferers had a corset of some kind made with cast-iron boning, I think.
Posted by: Sarra | February 18, 2009 5:28 PM
Ah! Someone on the wonderful Guardian talkboard (mostly populated by readers certainly-not-of-the-Guardian) told me - mystery solved.
Posted by: Sarra | February 18, 2009 5:46 PM
Many thanks for this splendid link. Buried somewhere in the Hooting Yard Archives for 2003-2006, I am sure I have a quotation from somewhere about such a delusionist. In his case, only his legs were made of glass - or so he thought. If I can find it, I'll post it here.
Posted by: Frank Key | February 18, 2009 10:36 PM
Here it is:
“The other case, as related by Van Swieten, in his commentaries upon Boerhaave, is that of a learned man, who had studied, till be fancied his legs to be of glass: in consequence of which he durst not attempt to stir, but was constantly under anxiety about them. His maid bringing one day some wood to the fire, threw it carelessly down; and was severely reprimanded by her master, who was terrified not a little for his legs of glass. The surly wench, out of all patience with his megrims, as she called them, gave him a blow with a log upon the parts affected; which so enraged him, that he instantly rose up, and from that moment recovered the use of his legs.” - Anon (”An Oxonian”), Thaumaturgia, Or Elucidations Of The Marvellous (1835).
Posted by: Frank Key | February 18, 2009 11:23 PM