Melampus and the Cure of Proetus' Daughters
April 2017
in “
Hormones
”
Studysummary This article explores whether Melampus, a mythological healer, may have intentionally caused the madness of Proetus' daughters through the use of herbs, despite being credited with their cure.
Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer
The document from 6 years ago analyzed the Greek myth of Melampus curing Proetus' daughters, who suffered from manic madness, alopecia, skin depigmentation, and ulceration, using the herb Helleborus niger. The authors proposed that the daughters' symptoms could be due to poisoning or an infectious disease, with ergotism and Cushing's syndrome as potential diagnoses. Ergotism, caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, can result in psychiatric symptoms and skin problems, while Cushing's syndrome, due to high levels of glucocorticoids and/or androgens, could also explain the symptoms. The possibility of poisoning from Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice), which can impact the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, was also considered. However, the authors concluded that none of these explanations fully accounted for all the symptoms, suggesting a combination of factors may have been involved.
