Benign Stupors: A Study of a New Manic-Depressive Reaction TypeHoch, August
Science
Benign Stupors: A Study of a New Manic-Depressive Reaction Type
Hoch, August
Manic-depressive illness; Stupor
2. For about ten days she was somewhat different. She
became quieter and at first lay muttering unintelligibly,
saying some things about being killed, but speaking little,
often restlessly tossing about and tremulous. She had to be
tube-fed. On one day (July 1) she smiled more and talked
more, said to the physician “You have been arrested for
me--you arrested the first man that I ever--New York
State--let me see that book” (note pad). Then she went on:
“Oh, I am all apart--diamonds--they didn’t know--must I
keep them clean?--what is your name?--that is another thing
I would like to know.” But when asked what house she was in
she said: “This is the same Ward’s Island” and then added,
“How long have I been here?--there is my picture up there
(register), who is that? (listening) it’s Ida ...” She
began to sing softly. Then again she whined. “O mamma,
mamma!” When asked how long she had been here, she said:
“Since Decoration Day, when my father went in my sister’s
house, nobody could catch up with me--somebody blackened
her eyes.” When asked whether she was sick, she said “No,
insane.”
Although, as was stated, she said at one time, “This is the
same Ward’s Island,” usually questions regarding
orientation were not answered, as she gave few relevant
replies, but she repeatedly said spontaneously that she was
in “Hoboken or Bellevue,” and called the nurse by the name
of a former teacher. A few days after this state had
developed she had a fever. Once this rose to 104°. The
fever lasted two weeks, coming down gradually. It was
associated with a leucocytosis of 15,000 on June 29 (no
differential count) and with coated tongue. No Widal (two
examinations). No diazo (July 1).
3. Then while the temperature still lasted she developed a
stupor which persisted for about a year. During this time
her temperature rose to 100° without ascertainable cause.
She lay for the most part motionless, changing her position
but rarely; her expression was stolid; she retained and
drooled saliva, wet and soiled herself. She never answered
any questions; showed no interest whatever. At times she
was quite stiff and very resistive but never cataleptic.
Her extremities were cold and cyanotic. She had to be
tube-fed throughout. During this time she lost much hair.
After some months she occasionally gazed about furtively,
or later watched everything when unaware of being observed;
at this time she also smiled occasionally at amusing
things, or perhaps said “yes” or “no” to questions, but
usually was stolid when interrogated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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