Piblokto
File this under Weird Medical Conditions. Piblokto is the Eskimo word for Arctic Hysteria. From Wikipedia:
From a 1965 newspaper article:
Between Piblokto and Windigo Psychosis the Arctic sounds like a great place to spend some time.
Symptoms can include intense hysteria (screaming, uncontrolled wild behavior), depression, coprophagia [feces eating], insensitivity to extreme cold (such as running around in the snow naked), echolalia (senseless repetition of overheard words) and more. This condition is most often seen in Eskimo women. This culture-bound syndrome is possibly linked to vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A). The native Eskimo diet provides rich sources of vitamin A and is possibly the cause or a causative factor.
From a 1965 newspaper article:
Scientists (lucky enough to see Eskimos with piblokto) listed these characteristics:
"Tearing off clothing.
"Fleeing, nude or otherwise, across ice and snow.
"Rolling in snow.
"Jumping into icy water.
"Picking up loose objects and tossing them in the air.
"Kicking all sorts of loose objects, particularly dogs.
"Tearing off clothing.
"Fleeing, nude or otherwise, across ice and snow.
"Rolling in snow.
"Jumping into icy water.
"Picking up loose objects and tossing them in the air.
"Kicking all sorts of loose objects, particularly dogs.
Between Piblokto and Windigo Psychosis the Arctic sounds like a great place to spend some time.
Comments
Reason I'm glad I live in Texas #387: No fear of Piblokto.
Posted by KW in Dallas, TX on 12/08/08 at 11:08 AM
Bill -- even the coprophagia? I will not be having dinner at your house.
Posted by BikerPuppy on 12/08/08 at 11:23 AM
Let me see...
#1 chewing seal skins to soften them
#2 eating whale fat
#3 chewing someone elses food because her teeth are worn down
(see #1)
#4 eating food someone else chewed for me
#5 living in sub zero weather 24/7/365
#6 living in a house where "warm" is 32F
What's to go bonkers about!?!
#1 chewing seal skins to soften them
#2 eating whale fat
#3 chewing someone elses food because her teeth are worn down
(see #1)
#4 eating food someone else chewed for me
#5 living in sub zero weather 24/7/365
#6 living in a house where "warm" is 32F
What's to go bonkers about!?!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 12/08/08 at 11:28 AM
I don't live in the Arctic, but that's what happened to me when I got dumped.
Posted by lostinthevalleygirl on 12/08/08 at 11:40 AM
"Dogs are 'loose objects'?"
Some dogs do have morals, but others have been brought up in unloving homes... it's kind of sad, really.
I used to work with Inuit, so I get kind of creeped out about this, knowing how high their suicide rate is.
Some dogs do have morals, but others have been brought up in unloving homes... it's kind of sad, really.
I used to work with Inuit, so I get kind of creeped out about this, knowing how high their suicide rate is.
Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 12/09/08 at 12:56 PM
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Category: Medicine