Old familiar faces: some aspects of the asylum era in Britain. Part 1.

Conditions which had an historical association with Asylums in the years 1850-1950, but which are no longer commonly seen in psychiatric practice, are reviewed. These include: Asylum pellagra, Erysipelas, Insane Ear and Fractured Ribs. The history of each condition and its manifestation is reviewed in the context of its relationship with mental illness and its treatment as seen by authorities writing when these conditions were prevalent. It is not clear why these conditions became common, why they had a particular association with Asylums, or why they have largely disappeared.