Authors:
Loren Pankratz - Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland,
Oregon
Author
Note:
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed
to Loren Pankratz, Ph.D., 1525 SW Palatine St., Portland,
OR 97219; E-mail: loren.pankratz@attbi.com.
Abstract:
Throughout history, individuals have made attributions about
the cause of symptoms in ways that are congruent with the
expectations, values, and belief systems of their society.
For example, in most European countries, the dancing manias
that followed the Black Death plague were attributed to demon
possession or the torment of sins. However, in Italy, the
dancing mania was attributed to the bite of the tarantula.
Physicians were powerless in treating the victims, just as
priests had been unsuccessful in managing the dancers who
sought their assistance. In retrospect, we can see that cultural
forces produced these outbursts and that Italians had specific
advantages in making biological attributions for their socioreligious
turmoil. As modern society developed, many people remain fearful
of the chemicals that have assisted our survival. Indeed,
some claim that even brief exposure to small amounts of chemicals
gives them serious symptoms. These individuals who claim multiple
chemical sensitivity also prefer biological explanations for
their symptoms. Scientific practitioners must not abandon
these patients to quacks but should instead use sensitive
clinical skills in the assessment and management of these
struggling people.
