Shell-shock and other neuropsychiatric problems : $b Presented in five hundred and eighty-nine case histories from the war literature, 1914-1918Southard, Elmer Ernest
History
Shell-shock and other neuropsychiatric problems : $b Presented in five hundred and eighty-nine case histories from the war literature, 1914-1918
Southard, Elmer Ernest
War neuroses; World War, 1914-1918 -- Medical care; World War, 1914-1918 -- Psychological aspects
(_d_) emotion (that is, emotion not the effect of any form of
suggestion offered by the physician, but emotion brought about by some
event affecting the sentiments of the subject).
Epilepsy of emotional origin.
=Case 73.= (WESTPHAL and HÜBNER, April, 1915.)
A lieutenant without neuropathic tendencies (except that his mother
was in a hospital for the insane) was under shell fire for some time.
Finally, a shell burst near him, whereupon headaches and transient
spells of confusion followed. Shortly upon the news of the death of
his Major, he had a spell of violent excitement and confusion, dancing
about on the ground and breaking things up. He passed into a stuporous
condition with a suggestion of catatonia. There were a few isolated
delusions to the effect that he was poisoned. After sleeping a long
time, he suddenly cleared up. There was an extensive amnesia covering
a period of weeks. He had forgotten the Major’s death and everything
thereafter. He complained of headache, difficulty of thinking, and
forgetfulness. An agoraphobia developed, as well as great sensitivity
to sounds, and a feeling as if the bed and surrounding barracks were
moving. There were a few illusions of a visual nature. He had complete
insight into his condition. Conduct was normal. There was general
hyperesthesia and ageusia.
According to Westphal, this case of deep disorder of consciousness of
some duration in a healthy person is probably one of a dazed state
following the so-called “affect epilepsy.”
Is Case 73 Shell-shock? Note that, in Case 73, the shell explosion
at first occasioned mere headaches and confusional spells. The true
occasion of the convulsions appears to have been the news of the death
of a superior officer. It is, of course, possible that the transient
spells of confusion were actually epileptic equivalents. Lépine
remarks that Pierret and others, observing such spells of confusion
often accompanied by agitation, have inquired whether manic depressive
psychosis is not a kind of epilepsy. This question remains unresolved.
These phenomena of epilepsia larvata (see also Case 81 of Juquelier and
Quellien) are to be sharply distinguished from attacks of confusion
occurring in pronounced epileptics. These latter attacks often follow a
crisis and suggest exhaustion; sometimes they last several days.
Fatigue; fear; hysterical convulsions. Visual aura (approaching fire
wheel) built up after the third crisis (scotoma after look at sun).
=Case 74.= (LAIGNEL-LAVASTINE and FAY, July, 1917.)
A sapper, 23, with his company under heavy bombardment, October, 1916,
was overcome by weariness and fear (he had always been of a timorous
disposition). The order for the rear came, but the convoy was hardly en
route when the sapper felt a griping in the pit of the stomach and the
blood going to his head; whereupon he lost consciousness and went into
convulsions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account