MThe Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine, 1990 Leading Arficle The chronic fatigue syndrome: a return to common sense

The chronic fatigue syndrome has become one of the past decade's causes celebres, vying with ecological issues for a place in the public perception of real and imagined threats to society and the individual. Perhaps this interest is a manifestation ofthe malaise offin de siecle which in other ages has led to outbursts of anarchy ' or increased eschato-logical preoccupation. Fortunately, the passing of time-and the cathartic benefits of publication have restored a more reasoned view of chronic fatigue and its attendant problems. Chronic fatigue first became prominent as one ofthe features ofmyalgic encephalomyelitis or the 'ME syndrome ' and has subsequently been the subject of intense debate.2"5 In truth, fatigue is a symptom with many cause