''A Letter to a Friend'' (written 1656; published posthumously in 1690), by Sir Thomas Browne, the 17th century philosopher and

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, is a medical

treatise A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject and its conclusions." Treat ...

of case-histories and witty speculations upon the

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Morgellons

It is believed to be the source of a term Mary Leitao found in 2001 to describe her son's skin condition. She chose the name " Morgellons disease" from a skin condition described by Browne in ''Letter to a Friend'', thus: There is, however, no suggestion that the symptoms described by Browne are linked to the alleged modern cases of Morgellons. In 1935, Charles Ernest Kellett MD FRCP (1903-1978), who lectured in the history of medicine at the University of Newcastle medical school, wrote a detailed criticism of Browne's Morgellons reference.

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1656 books 1690 books Works by Thomas Browne Books published posthumously Treatises Medical books Delusional parasitosis {{med-book-stub