Munhchausen, who told big lies

1720: 190 years ago on this day, May 11, was born Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Freiherr von Münchhausen (d. February 22, 1797), officer and adventurer. Munchausen supposedly told a number of outrageous tall tales about his adventures, and his name has been given to at least two psychological disorders.

In 1785, these stories were collected and published in English by Rudolf Erich Raspe, in The Surprising Adventures Of Baron Munchausen.

His name was given to the psychological factitious disorder, Munchausen Syndrome, in which a 'patient' will feign illness in order to receive the sympathy and attention of others; and also Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy in which a caregiver, usually the mother, or a nurse, feigns or induces an illness in another person, usually her or his child, to gain attention and sympathy as the 'worried' parent.



Categories: health, biography, history, mental-illness