The Strange Case of Elizabeth Collie: Admitted to Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum for Tea Addiction
A recent discovery in the archives of the Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum has shed light on a bizarre case of hospitalization in the 19th century. Elizabeth Collie, a 34-year-old factory worker, was admitted to the mental health facility in November 1848 due to delusions attributed to her sedentary lifestyle and excessive consumption of tea.
According to medical records, Collie believed that her neighbors were using machinery to cause pain and discomfort in her head, intestines, and other parts of her body. Hospital staff noted that her condition could potentially be linked to her dependence on tea.
After spending over six months in the asylum, Collie was discharged in June 1849. However, her case was not an isolated one. In a letter to the British Medical Journal in 1886, physician J. Muir Howie highlighted the link between tea abuse and alcoholism among women.
Howie noted that many women who later became alcoholic had initially been heavy tea drinkers, using alcohol to alleviate the nervous symptoms caused by excessive tea consumption. This revelation raised questions about the potential addictive nature of tea, particularly among women.
While recent studies suggest that milk tea can be addictive, the mysteries surrounding Elizabeth Collie’s case continue to intrigue researchers. The discovery of the admissions register at the Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum offers a fascinating glimpse into the historical perception of tea consumption and its potential impact on mental health.
As we uncover more about Collie’s story, it serves as a reminder of the complex relationship between mental health, substance abuse, and societal norms in the past and present. The strange case of Elizabeth Collie offers a glimpse into a lesser-known aspect of 19th-century healthcare practices and the enduring impact of tea on women’s health.