Melvin Ramsay

Doctor A. Melvin Ramsay was consultant physician in Infectious Diseases at the Royal Free Hospital in London, United Kingdom, where an outbreak of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) occurred in 1955. He is considered the foremost expert on the outbreak and later examined similar outbreaks occurring in other cities and countries. In 1986, Dr. Ramsay published a case definition of the illness called the Ramsay definition. Throughout his life, he was committed to public and professional education about the illness and to dispelling misconceptions that the illness was of psychological origin.

Books

• 1986 - Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Postviral Fatigue States: The Saga of Royal Free Disease, (originally titled Postviral Fatigue Syndrome: The Saga of Royal Free Disease

Journal publications

• 1965, Correspondence - Hysteria and "Royal Free Disease" by Melvin Ramsay, in The BMJ (Full Text)
• 1965, Correspondence - Eclipse of hysteria by Dr Betty Scott and Melvin Ramsay, in The BMJ {(Full Text)
• 1970, Correspondence - Epidemic malaise by N. D. Compston, H. E. Dimsdale, Melvin Ramsay, and A. T. Richardson, in The BMJ (Full Text)
• 1973, Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis (No abstract available)
• 1977, Letter to the editor - Icelandic disease (benign myalgic encephalomyelitis or Royal Free disease) by Melvin Ramsay, Elizabeth Dowsett, J V Dadswell, W H Lyle, and J G Parish, in The BMJ (Full Text)
• 1978, 'Epidemic neuromyasthenia' 1955-1978 (Full Text)
• 1979, Clinical and biochemical findings in ten patients with benign myalgic encephalomyelitis (Full Text)
• 1990, Myalgic encephalomyelitis--a persistent enteroviral infection? (Free Text)

ME Association

Dr. Ramsay helped create the ME Association in 1978.

Online presence

• PubMed

Learn more

• Ramsay's Definition for M.E., by National Alliance for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (NAME)

See also

• Royal Free Hospital outbreak
• Royal Free Hospital
• ME Association
• Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Postviral Fatigue States: The Saga of Royal Free Disease
• Ramsay definition
• Ramsay's Disease

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

enterovirus A genus of RNA viruses which typically enter the body through the respiratory or gastrointestinal systems and sometimes spread to the central nervous system or other parts of the body, causing neurological, cardiac, and other damage. Since the first reports of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), enteroviruses have been suspected as a cause of ME. Enteroviruses have also been implicated as the cause of Type I diabetes, congestive heart failure, and other conditions. Enteroviruses include poliovirus, coxsackieviruses, and many others. New enteroviruses and new strains of existing enteroviruses are continuously being discovered. (Learn more: viralzone.expasy.org)

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.