Neurosyphilis : $b Modern systematic diagnosis and treatment presented in one hundred and thirty-seven case histories — John Shaqi
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
5. How exceptional is such a case as that of Harrison? We have in
our experience seen many patients with a similar course and
configuration of symptoms, although the majority of these cases in
a community advanced enough to provide easy access to a Wassermann
laboratory are now diagnosticated far earlier than was the case of
Harrison.
6. What attitude shall we take toward so-called syphilophobia? It
seems to us that resort to a serum W. R. is indicated, both from
the standpoint of the community and still more importantly from
the standpoint of the patient. We are even inclined to suggest for
a case of persistent syphilophobia, when the serum W. R. has
proved negative, a lumbar puncture. Syphilophobia must be
considered, not as a syphilitic psychosis, but as a phobia to be
classified among the psychoneuroses. It becomes a difficult
question to decide at times whether a patient who has had
syphilis, has had a considerable course of treatment and shows the
symptoms of a syphilophobiac should be further treated for
syphilis or merely for his phobia. We have seen recently such a
patient who gave a certain history of syphilis and who was greatly
disturbed lest he should be developing paresis. This fear bothered
him greatly. Examination showed irregular pupils, but no other
signs of syphilis. The W. R. in blood and spinal fluid was
negative as were the other spinal fluid tests. It was considered
wise to treat him only for his phobia and under this treatment he
was given some relief.
=PARETIC NEUROSYPHILIS (“general paresis”) may look precisely like
MANIC-DEPRESSIVE PSYCHOSIS.=
=Case 10.= The mental picture in Lyman Agnew, an architect, 58 years of
age, was wholly characteristic of manic-depressive psychosis. In the
first place, there had been (at 55) a previous attack of depression,
lasting a few months, from which Agnew had completely recovered. He had
remained entirely well up to four months before consultation.
(Manic-depressive psychosis is, at least in a majority of cases,
hereditary. There had been mental disorder in one maternal cousin, and
mental impairment in the patient’s mother some time before her death
from cerebral hemorrhage. There was no other report of mental disease in
the family.)
It appears that in the interval between attacks, Agnew had been working
very hard and had been fairly successful in paying off a mortgage on his
house. A marked elation, somewhat natural, followed this success and
continued to an abnormal degree. Agnew labored under considerable
excitement, was over-fussy, and at times showed a flight of ideas. His
mania or hypomania gradually diminished and depression set in, in which
depression he arrived for consultation. He had marked ideas of
self-accusation, was emotionally unstable, wept much, and showed a
characteristic retardation of activities and unrest.
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