Bromide psychosis: a literary case

Author Evelyn Waugh, noted for such works as Brideshead Revisited, published in 1957 an autobiographical account of his own bromide psychosis in the novel The Ordeal Of Gilbert Pinfold. Until now, however, the fact of his bromide poisoning had gone unrecognized both in biographies of Waugh and in analyses of the novel. Ordeal gives a detailed, accurate, day-by-day description of bromide psychosis. This unusual, witty, and fascinating piece of literature actually provides the most complete monograph on the subject. In this article we review the literature on bromide poisoning, discuss the events of the novel and of Waugh's life in light of his bromide psychosis, and suggest the relevance of the case to medicine.