Self-mutilation in four historical cases of bulimia.

Abstract

Current theories suggest that there is a relatively frequent association of self-mutilative behaviour with eating disorders, particularly with the modern binge-purge syndrome, bulimia nervosa. In order to consider this association on a historical dimension, 25 bulimic cases, reported from the late 17th to the late 19th century, were investigated. These were found to include four examples of self-mutilative behaviour, in three males and one female: these cases are described and discussed. The historical evidence lends some support for the suggested connection between eating pathology and self-mutilation.