General paralysis : a critical review of the literature of the subject, to which is appended an analysis of the case of John S. Blackburn, in which insanity was alleged as a means of defense / by D.A. Morse.
- Morse, D. A. (David Appleton), 1840-1891
- Date:
- [1874]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: General paralysis : a critical review of the literature of the subject, to which is appended an analysis of the case of John S. Blackburn, in which insanity was alleged as a means of defense / by D.A. Morse. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
85/124 page 83
![hand had suddenly grasped the lar}^nx. Maniacal excitement continued for a short time only. This was followed by marked mental enfeeblement. Paretic seizures supervened, which were I'epeated until paralysis became complete, and the patient xie]p=- less. In this condition bed-sores were developed, and the pa- tient demanded great cai-e. He died from paralysis a year after admission. Griesinger says: At the onset of general paralysis the in- tellectual disturbances present not always the same character. It is rare that we do not observe a melancholic period, which manifests itself sometimes as a simple depression, sometimes by very marked hypochondi'iasis. Very rarely do we see super- vene the first lesions of movement during this period of mel- ancholy; nevertheless, as has been observed by Calmiel, p. 328, this does occur, patients still having for some time melancholic delirium which transforms itself into demency. Brierre de Boismont, in the work cited, Observation vi, p. 12, .reports a case of the hypochondriacal form that is very interest- ing, the more so as Calmiel, Parchappe and Brierre consulted and together made the diagnosis. It is also interesting as an hereditary disease. He says: This observation, the subject of which has never been lost from sight, is interesting on ac- count of more than one point. We follow at first step by step the long incubation of the general paralysis to which this un- fortunate organization is thus to say, fatally predisposed. A first derangement of mind, characterized by an exaggerated hy- pochondriasis, announces the approach of the disease; this fact confirms the opinion advanced by Baillarger, upon hypochon- driacal delirium, considered as a precursor of general paralysis. * * * This phenomenon is followed by symptoms of para- lytic mania of ambitious form, and this, after a duration of ?ome months is replaced by paralytic domcncy, mingled now](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22279167_0085.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
