Neurosyphilis : $b Modern systematic diagnosis and treatment presented in one hundred and thirty-seven case historiesSouthard, Elmer Ernest
Science
Neurosyphilis : $b Modern systematic diagnosis and treatment presented in one hundred and thirty-seven case histories
Southard, Elmer Ernest
Neurosyphilis
1. Is there evidence of an increase or exacerbation of tabes
dorsalis in the war? Birnbaum,[26] reviewing German war neurology,
quotes Weygandt as believing that the war has probably had to do
with the production of both tabes and paresis in many instances.
Other cases, however, have merely been made worse by the war
stress. Thirdly, there are cases in which the war stress has done
no harm whatever. Westphal has seen both tabes and paresis develop
in men who had never before shown any mental or physical symptoms
whatever, and accordingly, Westphal must be counted among those
who regard war stress as a liberating factor for these diseases.
Redlich and Donath are cited in the same connection. (The case of
Donath is the case presented above as Case A.)
A very interesting claim was made by Cimbal to the effect that he
found many examples of paresis developing in the early period of
the war, particularly in November and December, 1914. Later,
according to Cimbal, cerebrospinal syphilis and tabes became more
prevalent.
=Neurosyphilis in a German recruit, possibly AGGRAVATED ON military
SERVICE. Pension not allowable. Case from Weygandt.=
=Case C.=[27] A German, long alcoholic and thought to be weakminded,
volunteered, but shortly had to be released from service. He began to be
forgetful and obstinate, cried, and even appeared to be subject to
hallucinations. The pupils were unequal and sluggish. The uvula hung to
the right. The left knee-jerk was lively, right weak. Fine tremors of
hands. Hypalgesia of backs of hands. Stumbling speech. Attention poor.
It appeared that he had been infected with syphilis in 1881 and in 1903
had had an ulcer of the left leg.
The military commission denied that his service had brought about the
disease. In the phrase of the Canadian Pension Board the German
commission would probably have rendered a report “aggravated on
service,” not “by service.” (See Canadian cases D, E, and F.)
1. Has paresis increased in the war? Both French and German figures
controvert the claim. Marie, for example, found not a single
paretic amongst the skull injury cases at the Salpétrière. Most
authors are found demonstrating cases which they clearly regard as
in some way produced or unfavorably influenced by the war. There
seems, therefore, to be a little inconsistency between the general
statement that paresis has not increased in the war and the
somewhat frequent cases described as occurring in and modified by
the war. However, Bonhoeffer, on the basis of nine months’ war
experience, also holds it to be probable that paresis is no more
frequent in the field than in the home population.
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