Treatment of maniacal excitement / by J.A. Campbell.

  • Campbell, J. A.
Date:
[1885]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Treatment of maniacal excitement / by J.A. Campbell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    6/12 (page 6)
    patients remain in a state of intense excitement for 3, 4, and 5 months, who ultimately became wel], and who^ wonderful to say, retained nothing in their look or manner which would indicate that they had passed through such a severe ordeal. From my observation I have noticed that patients who have had a severe attack of mania very fre- quently retain after recovery an indescribable something which shows a marked difference in them from what they were before. The shorter the attack of excitement the better for the patient's future mental state. I think, however, that most observers will agree with me when I say that a gradual subsidence of an attack of excitement, with a gradual stage of recovery, augurs a more favourable terminal issue to a case than when a .sudden cessation of excitement and an equally sudden apparent mental recovery takes place. Patients whose disease exhibits these sudden changes have frequently several relapses before complete recovery. Is there a difference in the character of the cases of maniacal excitement which have come under my observation ? I think there is ; and I also think certain circumstances which I shall mention may have had a certain influence in producing this change. On this topic I would fain hope to have a decided opinion expressed. Change of type in disease formed some years ago a fruitful subject of discussion, and certain changes in treatment of given diseases were accounted for on the plea of the change of character of the disease, though then as now there were not wanting those who held that the change was really in the ideas and practice of our profession, not in the disease. I for one profess that it is probable, likely, and right that it should be so ; that as time and knowledge advance there should be a change in our ideas of treatment and in our practice, I also certainly think; that many circumstances combine to produce changes in the characters of diseases which we call by one set of names at present. I have refreshed my mind by looking over a large number of the cases that have come under my care in the Carlisle asylum, and I consider myself justified in making the following statements. Fewer cases of long attacks of severe maniacal excitement come under my observation now than did in the early part of my asylum life. In the cases of periodic mania at present under my care the attacks do not run so long a course, nor is the excitement of such a furious character as was present in this class of