Historical note: "the epileptic constitution": the psychoanalytic concept of epilepsy

The rise of the psychoanalytic approach to behavioral medicine in the early part of the 20th century created a unique concept of the nature and the aetiology of epilepsy based upon dynamic psychopathology. As a direct result of this a radical change in both medical and community perception of this condition was generated, and this was to persist up to and beyond the mid-century mark. This historical note details the adoption, and the rise and fall of this concept of "the epileptic constitution", and a consideration of the negative effects that flowed from this, permeating all areas of psychiatry, neurology and even the criminal justice system.