Hugh Blair of Borgue
Hugh Blair (1708-1760s)[1] was a Scottish noble from the area of Borgue.
Hugh was the oldest son of David Blair and Grizell Blair.[2] Hugh had three siblings—a young brother John and two sisters. Hugh's father had died in 1716.[3]
In 1737, Hugh's younger brother John became his legal guardian ('curator'). In 1746, Blair married the daughter of a surgeon named Nicholas [sic] Mitchell. In 1748, his brother (and guardian) John successfully sought to have the marriage annulled by the Commissary Court of Edinburgh.[1][4]
Hugh was alleged to have engaged in a number of unusual behaviors including:
- Collecting bird feathers, twigs, and pieces of cloth.
- Always wearing the same piece of clothing.
- Requesting the same seat in church and engaging in repetitive acts.
- Attending every nearby burial, regardless of whether he knew the deceased.
- Making unannounced visits to others and being oblivious to social cues.
Modern scientists have speculated that records of Hugh Blair might be consistent with a modern diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.[1][4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/bhm/summary/v076/76.4kushner.html
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Autism-History-Case-Blair-Borgue/dp/0631220895#reader_0631220895
- ↑ http://www.drbilllong.com/CurrentEventsVIII/AutismHist.html
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rab Houston and Uta Frith. Autism in History: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue. Oxford: Blackwell, 2000