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
=Case 24.= Michael O’Donnell, a laborer of 48 years, came home, one day,
at 5:30, complaining of severe headache. His wife told him he should lie
down and, taking him by the arm, tried to help him to the bed. At this
moment, O’Donnell lost control of both left arm and left leg, and fell,
unable to move but with consciousness preserved. The wife noted that the
left side of his face was drawn up and that he drooled. He was at once
carried to a general hospital, remaining there for about three weeks,
talking at random in a delirious manner and tied in bed. Two
intraspinous injections of salvarsan were given, and O’Donnell showed
considerable improvement and went home.
However, upon his return from the hospital, he became very wilful, would
not remain in bed, and on one occasion actually took the mattress from
the bed, carried it to another room, and then returned to his own room
and slept upon the springs. He became irritable and emotional, insisted
upon going to the hospital, did not go there but upon returning home
insisted that he had been there. That night, O’Donnell left the house
only partly dressed.
It appears that O’Donnell had been excessively alcoholic, but that
before August 15, when he sustained the left-sided hemiplegia above
mentioned, there had been no symptoms except that in February he had
once been very dizzy. It appears that there had been another dizzy
spell, three nights before the paralysis, accompanied by a fall and
unconsciousness for about 15 minutes.
=TRANSIENT OR FLEETING PARALYSES=
NEUROSYPHILIS
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
MYOTONIA CONGENITA (THOMSEN’S DISEASE)
PARAMYOTONIA CONGENITA
MYOTONIA ATROPHICA
INTERMITTENT CLAUDICATION
OCCUPATION NEUROSES
FAMILY PERIODIC PARALYSES
ETANY
EPILEPSY MINOR
HYSTERIA
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
APOPLEXY
CEREBRAL THROMBOSIS
CHART 20
O’Donnell was brought to the Psychopathic Hospital some six weeks after
the paralysis, complaining merely of a slight headache and desirous of
treatment. There were no mental symptoms of any sort. =Physically=,
O’Donnell was in general not abnormal (there was a slight pre-systolic
murmur and a blood pressure of 190 mm. systolic). The pupils were
slightly irregular, the left larger than the right; both reacted
sluggishly. Both ears were moderately deaf; the tendon reflexes of the
left arm and leg were somewhat more lively than those on the right. The
systematic =neurological= examination otherwise revealed no
abnormalities. The urine was negative. The serum W. R. was positive but
the spinal fluid reaction was negative. There were but 2 cells per cmm.,
and there was a very slight trace of albumin.
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