ABSTRACT
The pain of living, malaise and existential distress are all diseases which have come to be well recognized in contemporary societies. Not always easy to identify, they only occasionally reveal their disturbing and ambiguous nature, often hiding behind a system of attitudes that one would not hesitate to define as ‘normal’. Undoubtedly over the centuries – and especially in relation to the various socio-cultural and geographical conditions – the concept of infirmitas has undergone significant changes and variations, perhaps mostly in reference to the mind. 1
