Porphyria in the royal houses of Stuart, Hanover, and Prussia. A follow-up study of George 3d's illness.

In a previous paper based on the royal physicians' manuscript records it was proposed that George III presented the clinical picture of porphyria.' His illness had traditionally been called manic-depressive psychosis simply because it came in attacks during which he was excited. Essential features were ignored, foremost the physical symptoms by which they were regularly ushered in and accompanied. Nor did the diagnosis account for the fact that he was first deranged in his severest attack at the age of 50 in 1788.2 Indeed, in contrast to the popular image, up to his 73rd year all periods of mental incapacity added together hardly amounted to six months.