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Pagophagia, or compulsive ice consumption: a historical perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Brenda Parry-Jones
Brenda Parry-Jones*
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Glasgow
*
1 Address for correspondence: Mrs Brenda Parry-Jones, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ.
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Synopsis

Pagophagia, or the excessive consumption of ice or iced drinks, is popularly regarded as a novel manifestation of pica, which has emerged, predominantly in the USA, over the last 30 years. However, a sampling of historical sources reveals that not only are there warnings in the writings of both Hippocrates and Aristotle concerning the dangers of excessive intake of cold or iced water, but a series of medical works, from the sixteenth century on, incorporate discussion and illustrative case histories about the detrimental effect of immoderate usage of cold water, ice and snow, frequently in the context of disordered eating.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , August 1992 , pp. 561 - 571
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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