Talk:Early life of Samuel Johnson

Goal

I think, if Sandy is up for it (and not now, but as a later project) - create a section about TS and childhood. A few paragraphs. First a paragraph on using sources to find out about TS. Then some background information on how it appears at the age of 8, and then put in some biography. After that, a section about how it can develop after ailments or expand later on, with a little discussion. Some theoretical stuff, and just some general background so a reader can understand how TS progresses. There is enough information out there that having both together shouldn't be OR synthesis, since Wiltshire and Demaria refer to general books on TS in describing some of the aspects. Ottava Rima (talk) 00:55, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

The problem here is that we will run into synthesis. Basically, we'll hit a wall where my knowledge of the TS research, and what is actually written about Johnson, can only be joined by synthesis, since none of the sources completely sew it all up well enough to encompass everything in the research. If you read any account of Johnson, it's all there, but no single source ties it all together, so we risk synthesis. It's tricky. For example, Pearch mentions Johnson's insomnia. Insomnia is part of TS. Pearce doesn't mention that insomnia is part of TS; he doesn't establish that known link in the text well, because, all of the writing about Johnson's TS is a bit outdated vis-a-vis how fast TS research in advancing. Another example, Pearce describes intrusive thoughts, but calls them "scruples of fidelity". And it goes on and on. We are, simply, ahead of the curve here. Soon, some journal will publish a new article on Johnson's TS, tying it all together. Until then ... SandyGeorgia (Talk) 01:47, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

I can give you the books that they cite if that helps. Wiltshire lists about 20 different works. Ottava Rima (talk) 02:03, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

So, you're saying that your sources do tie it all together? I guess you'll have to tell me what books to buy, but I'm beat for now. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 02:05, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

From Wiltshire (p 28, for a random section): "Whether one should give a medical account of behaviour depends obviously enough on the observer's sense of the limits of the normal or acceptable. Rolling or see-sawing movements whilst one's concentration is absorbed should hardly be called pathological. An early study of the subject, Meige and Feindel's Tics and their Treatment (translated in 1907) makes this useful distiction: (then he quotes).

Meige and Feindel's Tics and their Treatment (translated in 1907) ... can't even go there. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 02:38, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

p. 29 - "Boswell, as we have seen, said that Johnson's movements were present both while he talked and mused. But on this crucial matter Sir Joshua Reynolds disagreed. When Johnson was left out of a conversation, he noted, 'he fell into a reverie...' Meige and Feindel, as disciples of Charcot, perceived ticqueurs as degenerate, suffers from 'mental infantilism', and extolled the power of the will. Thought tics differed from 'tricks' or 'stereotyped acts' in that they were abnormal and functionless movements, and their suppression caused pain, they could and should be controlled..." (quote some more). "TS (as it is now know) is at present generating much interest and reseearch. It has been proposed as a means of collecting together and explaining Johnson's varied symptoms, the latest and in some ways the most persuasive assertion of medical explanatory power over Johnson's behavior.

Then going through the history of diagnosis. Mentions Shaprio's Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome as a "comprehensive study" and quotes from it. Discusses T. J. Murray. Then says "TS begins in childhood, often with single tics - rapid, repeated, involuntary movements - of the eye and face; in time the movements tend to spread downwards, so that odd jerkings of the shoulders and the trunk occur simultaneously as well as other varieties of movements..." (summaries of the various works on TS and how it affects the body) "Shapiro argues that TS is not a psychological disease and on the evidence of controlled psychological testing of patients, he finds that it is not necessarily associated either with obsessive-compulsive character traits, or with the inhibition of aggressive impulses..."

Outdated btw, and doesn't connect the dots. (Shapiro argued strongly that TS wasn't psychological; it is now understood to be an interplay between genetic and epi-genetic factors, certainly adverse events have an impact, psychological factors can impact course of tic severity, see the text I already added). SandyGeorgia (Talk) 02:38, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

Then a discussion of case histories. Joseph Bliss. More quotes on TS movements. There is a good 8 pages with notes that goes through the brief history of research on TS, development of research over time, movements to expect, and movements in Johnson. I believe that opens the door to further elaborate. I can scan and send (if you do not show anyone else and use it for personal and educational only means, and for fact checking of course) the sections. You might have easier access to some of the sources that he discusses. Ottava Rima (talk) 02:30, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

I've got everything on Bliss, but the problem is, Wiltshire is archaic in terms of TS research, and if he doesn't explicitly connect the dots to current understanding, we'll still be running into synthesis. I highly doubt that Wiltshire will be up to date on most aspects, so all we can use him for is anything that connects the dots between known info about TS and Johnson. Wiltshire was 1991; 1991 is nowhere wrt TS research. Things started moving in 1998, and even that is old now. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 02:38, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

You'll need to get the whole 8 pages for context. He goes through the history of research to see how TS develops as a diagnosis, so, it may seem a little skewed. But yeah, its broad enough to justify stringing together various sources on development and TS. We can talk about this when you have free time. :) Ottava Rima (talk) 03:16, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

And when will that be? SandyGeorgia (Talk) 03:37, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

Christmas? Some break? Whenever you have time? Ottava Rima (talk) 03:40, 6 September 2008 (UTC)