Sydenham's Chorea - NEJM video

This article from PubMed describes the chorea epidemic:In 1518, one of the strangest epidemics in recorded history struck the city of Strasbourg. Hundreds of people were seized by an irresistible urge to dance, hop and leap into the air.In houses, halls and public spaces, as fear paralyzed the city and the members of the elite despaired, the dancing continued with mindless intensity. Seldom pausing to eat, drink or rest, 400 of them danced for days or even weeks. And before long, the chronicles agree, dozens were dying from exhaustion.References:In a spin: the mysterious dancing epidemic of 1518. Waller JC. Endeavour. 2008 Sep;32(3):117-21. Epub 2008 Jul 7. Posted at Clinical Cases and Images. Stay updated and subscribe, follow us on Twitter and connect on Facebook.
Source: Clinical Cases and Images - Category: Journals (General) Tags: NEJM Neurology Source Type: news