A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 5 : $b Diseases of the nervous system
Science
A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 5 : $b Diseases of the nervous system
Medicine -- Practice
(_d_) As to the condition of important organs: of the eye in
connection with headaches and vertigo; of the ear in relation to
vertigo and epileptiform attacks; of the heart (and arterial tension)
in various head-symptoms; of the sexual organs in hysteria,
hypochondriasis, epilepsy, etc.
A serious stumbling-block in this last line of inquiry is the
ever-recurring question as to the causal relation between the symptoms
observed. Is the asthenopia the cause of the headache, or does the
neurasthenia, giving rise to the headache, cause the asthenopia? Does
the extremely slow action of the heart in a given case produce the
epileptoid attacks, or are both due to a lesion of the medulla? Does
ovarian hyperæsthesia and neuralgia (with or without organic changes)
cause the hystero-epilepsy, or is the ovaria one of the numerous
peripherally projected sensory symptoms of the hysteric state? Does
the lithæmia, oxaluria, azoturia, or phosphaturia found in a patient
give rise to the nervous symptoms complained of, or are they (the
morbid excretions) the result of defective innervation? The candid
neurologist, looking at his cases from the standpoint of the general
physician rather than from the loophole of narrow specialism, must
admit that these questions vex him daily, and that they are often not
to be resolved in the present state of knowledge except by a
recurrence to the therapeutic test.
For this extremely difficult diagnosis of the pathology of functional
nervous affections we would obtain much immediate assistance if
observers had the courage to publish their cases in continuous series,
instead of giving us successful cases, which often only serve to
mislead. For example, how greatly would the question of the relation
between ovarian symptoms and epilepsy (also hystero-epilepsy) be
advanced if we had the final results of all cases of removal of the
ovaries for these diseases at a period not less than one year after
the operation! And so with the attempts made to cure headaches by the
correction of errors of refraction and weakness of the interni. The
profession has a right to demand a frank and full report of the
experience of those who practice and teach in these directions.
{65}
THE LOCALIZATION OF LESIONS IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
BY E. C. SEGUIN, M.D.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account