On alcoholism, the various forms of alcoholic delirium and their treatment / by V.Magnan ; translated by W. S. Greenfield.

  • Valentin Magnan
Date:
1876
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On alcoholism, the various forms of alcoholic delirium and their treatment / by V.Magnan ; translated by W. S. Greenfield. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    sufficient to bring back again the alcoholic symp- toms and hallucinatory disturbances, after which, tliere persist melancholic ideas and notions of perse- cution, eacli time of a more marked character. Equally worthy of notice is the momentary ap- pearance of hallucinatory disturbances under the influence of a slight intercurrent affection, (from June 20th to 28th, 1872,) during his stay in the asylum, in the absence, consequently, of any fresh excess. A transient disturbance of the physiological equilibrium sufficed to allow the intoxication, which had become latent, to manifest its existence m a sudden and noisy manner. In the same way, again, attacks of alcoiiolic delirium appear, owing to some intercurrent affection, in drunkards who have not committed any excess for some time past. The system, which in health is strong enough to resist the intoxication, finds itself defenceless when the disease has weakened it and disturbed the co- ordination of its functions. Tlie jDi’ognosis is certainly very grave, whether looked at from the point of view of physical or of mental disturbance; in both cases tlie limit of a possible cure seems to have been over-stepped. Case VIII. Hereditary antecedents; father committed suicide ‘ brothers of nervous temperament; a child died of convulsions.—HahiU of drunlcenness; hallucinations toith ideas of persecution; attempt at mur er, first admission to the Asylum, mmate for seven months • improvement. Fresh] excesses Relapse—Second admission to Asylum. Icohohc symptoms which improve, leaving behind them hallucind iions and ideas of persecution. M ’ ^ soldier, was born of a melan- cbohc father who was addicted to drinking and poisoned himself- e has had six brothers, the eldest, a drunkard, has led a dis! orderly life and squandered the possessions of the family • the