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
=Past History.= Patient born thirty-two years ago, full term, normal
delivery and development. Measles, mumps, and chickenpox in childhood.
Subject to headaches since seven or eight years old. Kicked in the face
by horse at seventeen or eighteen, not considered serious. Hit by a
baseball three or four years ago, leaving him hard of hearing on left
side. Married ten years ago; no children because he says his wife needed
an operation. He denies venereal disease by name and symptoms. For past
ten years has had attacks of depression lasting but a short time, but
quite severe. Never caused him to quit work as a barber and he felt
better when working. His married life he says was fairly happy except
for his wife’s extravagances, and on this account he left her a little
over a year ago, and she has applied for a divorce, which he is willing
that she should have, but does not wish to give her alimony. He admits
moderate alcoholism.
=Present Trouble.= Patient states that since he left his wife a year ago
he has felt sorry a number of times. He has wished he had her back. He
has felt lonely. He has had six or eight periods of depression in that
time similar to those he has had for many years, lasting two or three
days, and sometimes a week. These were always precipitated by some cause
for worry. In these attacks he feels nervous, sleeps poorly, has little
or no appetite, sweats during his work and everything looks black.
Several times in these attacks he has had suicidal ideas. Ten months ago
he considered taking corrosive sublimate. For a little over a week
before entrance to hospital he had been out of work and had been
“sporting.” The day before entrance he had a telephone message from his
lawyer which upset him somewhat and he walked the floor all night. He
had just been shaving when the idea of suicide came to him. He sat down
a minute when suddenly the thought “to hell with the world” came to him;
he took the razor and slashed his wrist. He does not remember drawing
the razor across his wrist. As soon as he saw the blood he felt sorry,
called his mother, and was taken to an emergency hospital and then sent
to the Psychopathic Hospital.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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