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
Upon admission, January 17, he was hard of hearing on both sides, and
his speech was peculiar: choked off and retarded. His gait was heavy,
on a broad base. He was subject to headaches.
Exercises gradually improved the speech and the walking disorder was
quickly overcome. February 5 came a relapse through fright at the
rolling of drums near by. Speech was completely lost, deafness set in,
and the patient ran restlessly to and fro in tears. After a few hours
speech returned with still some minor difficulty.
From time to time came fainting spells and attacks of disorder of
consciousness, with loss of orientation and the idea of being in the
trench or under cover. He would ask whether it were raining through.
His mood herein was at times cheerful and excited. Speech further
improved from the middle of February, as well as did the other
symptoms.
On the King s birthday, February 25, occurred another relapse due to
his hearing small guns fired: Apathetic stupor, clonic spasm, aphonia,
abasia, severe deafness, poor sleep, refusal of food. The next day
he was still mute, but the spasms had ceased. He lay apathetically
in bed, taking a little liquid food. February 27 he was still mute,
though more active, not deaf, getting up alone, walking unsteadily on
a broad base, and playing cards at the table. March 2 the word _yes_
was again enunciated. March 3 he talked more freely and took a short
walk. March 4 speech of a sudden came completely back on the occasion
of getting excited in a quarrel among some other patients. The patient
thereafter began to talk a great deal, was bright and cheerful, but
still complained of a variety of nervous troubles. Speech was somewhat
difficult, but he was free from any definite aphasia or paraphasia.
_Re_ Shell-shock deafness, Jones Phillipson states that concussion
deafness is due to three contributory factors: (_a_) cerebral
concussion, (_b_) fatigue (violent oscillation of the perilymph,
continued noises, strain of organ of Corti), and (_c_) temporary or
permanent disorganization of the conductive apparatus.
_Re_ concussion deafness, J. S. and S. Fraser found in four cases
of actual explosion injury, a ruptured drumhead and hemorrhage into
the fundus of the internal meatus in three cases. They did not find
evidence of neuro-epithelial changes. Possibly the fundus hemorrhages,
besides giving rise to deafness, may start up the tinnitus and
giddiness that are sometimes found. In one case, there were changes in
the delicate nerve endings of the auditory ampullae.
Shell-shock: Deafness
=Case 260.= (MARRIAGE, February, 1917.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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