The term neurasthenia (from the Greek neur, “nerve” and asthenia, “weak”) is attributed to the 19th-century American neurologist George M. Beard, who coined it in 1869. Beard and other physicians began to notice patients who suffered from a constellation of symptoms that included fatigue, muscle soreness, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, general malaise, weakness of extremities, and an occasional fever-like delirium. These symptoms were typically observed after a period of prolonged physical or mental stress. Sometimes an infection preceded the onset of symptoms, but, more often, no prior infection was observed. Reports of contagion (e.g., affliction among family members, associates, or health care workers exposed to the patient) were rare. The condition also appeared to be chronic: Symptoms recurred at times of emotional stress or minimal physical exertion. This presentation caused physicians of the late-19th and early-20th century to propose that neurasthenia resulted when the body was pushed, by overwork or excessive emotional strain, beyond its limits. In medical writings of the time, the condition was also referred to as “nervous exhaustion.” The recommended treatment was bed rest, improved nutrition, mild exercise, hydrotherapy (medicinal baths), massage, and avoidance of “mental and emotional excitement” .