The rise and fall of the chronic fatigue syndrome as defined by Holmes et al.

This paper is a sequel to my monograph on neurocirculatory asthenia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It pays special attention to the nature of chronic fatigue syndrome, to the forms of neurocirculatory asthenia, and above all to the 6th form in which profound fatigue is the dominant symptom. All forms including the 6th are characterized by the presence of concomitant symptoms due to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Chronic fatigue syndrome as defined by Holmes et al is devoid of these symptoms. Up till the present day no case histories of it have been published. It is argued that chronic fatigue syndrome sensu Holmes et al does not exist, the 6th form of neurocirculatory asthenia having to take up its place.