A team of British physicians has offered a mock clinical diagnosis of Gollum, the tormented creature from J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, concluding that his erratic behavior stemmed from several overlapping physical conditions rather than simple villainy. The analysis, published in the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal, was led by psychiatrist Elizabeth Sampson of a London medical school.
The doctors argue that a fish-only diet left Gollum vulnerable to vitamin B-12 deficiency, while hair loss and low weight point to iron-deficiency anemia. His bulging eyes and apparent sleeplessness suggest hyperthyroidism, and an aversion to sunlight fits porphyria, an inherited metabolic disorder whose episodes can trigger psychosis. The physicians also found he met seven of nine criteria for schizoid personality disorder.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in December 2004, in its own words.