Mark Twain and his family's health: Livy Clemens' neurasthenia in the gilded age and chronic fatigue syndrome of today.

Our purpose is to compare and contrast the 19th century diagnosis and disease neurasthenia with the contemporary illness known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The health of Mark Twain's wife, Olivia (Livy) Clemens, will then be discussed and evaluated with respect to these two medical conditions.