Postencephalitic respiratory disorders : review of syndromy, case reports, physiopathology, psychopathology and therapy / by Smith Ely Jelliffe.

  • Smith Ely Jelliffe
Date:
1927
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Postencephalitic respiratory disorders : review of syndromy, case reports, physiopathology, psychopathology and therapy / by Smith Ely Jelliffe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    his now well known type of Muscular Atrophy. “ How does it come about that one could discover an affection which has existed since the days of Hippocrates and then one fine morning one perceives there are people with atrophied muscles ? ” “ Why does one have to be shown a thing twenty times before they can see it ? Charcot asked. Certainly this comment pertains as well to the “ newly dis¬ covered ”3 epidemic encephalitis syndromes. With the vast multitude of these acute syndromes we are not here concerned, especially the respiratory ones, which have been very fre¬ quent and at times severe, even fatal, from direct involvement of the more vital respiratory nuclei. [See Goldflam’s paper to be cited.] As for the respiratory syndromes which may be discussed as postencephalitic, that is arising either by very gradual stages to a full respiratory modification some months or even years after an attack of some infectious disease, either thought of as “ influenza ” or “ encephalitis,” or “ unknown,” we here purpose giving an extended discussion. It may be recalled that v. Economo4 was also one of the first to recognize the chronic types. At the same time it must not be over¬ looked that “ recidive ” or “reinfection,” or “chronic relapsing” cases of neurological interest have been frequently mentioned by the students of the influenza epidemic of 1889, and Leichtenstein (p. 210) deals with them quite specifically. Thus the syndromes of paralysis agitans, tabes, hemichoreas, hemiataxias, hemiplegias, tremors, myo¬ clonias, multiple scleroses, hyperthyroidisms, dementias, lethargies, psychoses, pseudoappendicitis, and a host of others, were known as following in the wake of the “ influenza ” epidemic of 1890. It is unnecessary to go over this literature at this time, but the student of history must do this else the present “ epidemic encephalitis ” will be in danger of strange misinterpretation. With these difficult epidem¬ iological problems, however, we are not here concerned. We refer the interested student to Crookshank’s study already cited. As for the “ respiratory types,” they can be found in this older literature under the rubrics of hysteria, hysterical tics, cramps, etc., and it is not at all surprising that nearly all of the studies to he here reviewed speak of this conception as having been first thought of 3 For an excellent philosophical discussion about lost knowledge and rediscovered knowledge, see D. S. Robinson, The Logical Significance of Rediscovered Knowledge, Journal of Philosophy, XXII, 1925, 346. 4 Von Economo. Munch, med. Woch., 1919, p. 1311. Wien Arch. f. inn. Med., 1920, Vol. I, Heft 3.