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
It appears that four days before, he had been blown up three times by
aero torpedo mortar shells while attending the wounded. One had blown
him into the air, another had blown him into a dug-out, and a third
had knocked him down. Two or three hours later, having finished the
job of carrying wounded to the dressing station, everything seemed to
“go black” in the dug-out where he was resting, and from that time on
he had been shaky. It seemed that he had hardly slept for several days
before he finally gave in.
There were irregular spasmodic movements of the head, arms (especially
the right), and legs (especially the left). There were coarse tremors
and incoördination in moving the arms. With eyes closed, he touched
his nose with uncertainty. Cotton-wool touch on arms or head provoked
lively movements. “I was always ticklish,” he explained, “but
never like this; I can’t stand it, Sir.” Pinpricks produced almost
convulsions. There was perspiration, rigidity of legs, and spasm such
that knee-jerks were unobtainable. Plantar reaction, flexor. There were
also visual hallucinations of bursting shells, and these were also
heard when dozing.
Improvement followed with rest, but about two weeks later, on waking
to find himself being carried back to his tent to avoid a shower, he
was so terrified that a special nurse became necessary. He was still
jumpy the next day, alarmed at footsteps, and afflicted with headache.
He improved further in three days; remained two months in hospital in
England, had one month’s leave, and then returned to light duty.
Shell-shock; thrown against wall; comrades killed; no visible trauma,
or loss of consciousness: Persistent TREMORS, augmented in intentional
movements; CRISES of agitation following noise or emotion.
=Case 224.= (MEIGE, February, 1916.)
A corporal (an expert gunner) and his squad had just entered a mine
shaft on Nouvron Plateau, January 13, 1915, when a shell, bursting
above them, threw him violently against the wall and killed or wounded
several of his comrades. The corporal himself was not wounded, nor is
it clear that consciousness was lost. The man lay waiting on the ground
for some time until a communication trench could be finished and he
could be evacuated without much danger from the mine shaft. He had
already begun to tremble, and trembled still more while going back in
the trench.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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