Citation

Lewandowski K. Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. 2022; 147(24-25): 1611-1616.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Georg Thieme Verlag)

DOI

10.1055/a-1716-9189

PMID

36470269

Abstract

Robert Louis Stevenson for many years had to lead the life of an invalid. He most likely suffered from hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia rather than from tuberculosis. His illness, however, did not prevent him from writing one of the most famous horror novels: "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". It is not a doctor's novel, and yet it can also be read as a medical case report. The literary figure Jekyll/Hyde shows a strange behavior which can be attributed to either illnesses such as epilepsia, syphilis, or dissociative identity disorder. Alternative explanations could be substance use disorder or side effects of a homemade antiepileptic therapy with potassium bromide. Dr. Jekyll commits suicide by ingesting hydrocyanic acid. The author died of cerebral haemorrhage, possibly triggered by vascular malformations in the context of his underlying disease. Reflecting on Stevenson's novella, the macabre and mystical setting serves as a stage to display good and evil, light and shadow - the eternal duality of human existence. The reader senses that we all inherit a destructive force, but we long to be able to control its momentum. It dawns upon us, however, that the diabolical promise given to Adam and Eve in the biblical creation story, i. e. "you will be like God and know what is good and evil" will remain wishful thinking.

Language: de

Keywords

Humans; Male; *Diagnosis, Differential