Melancholy

This work is a massive treatise on the malaise of melancholy. At least of the authors preceding Robert Burton had all too much experience with melancholy. Melancholy is the old name for an ailment contemporary psychologists call depression. There are diverse forms of this. There is a sense in which this work is simply an old medical document. As such it is about the history of medicine and psychology.

There are general types of melancholy. The author goes into these in each of three major Partitions of the book. The First Partition contains a description of melancholy in general terms. This is in part to make it easier to recognize. He also covers most probable causes of the illness or condition. This analysis is followed by basic treatment plans. The Second Partition is primarily concerned with curing the ailment. Treatment regimens are explained in much greater detail. The...