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
A lieutenant of Territorials, aged 41 (heredity good, anal fistula at
30, with ulceration of penis of an unknown nature at the same period).
In 1907 when off service and married, his wife gave birth to a child;
no miscarriages. Had been a good soldier in service before the war. The
lieutenant was called to the colors August 2, 1914, and was detached
for special duty, for the performance of which he was much praised by
the commanding officers. The work, however, was too much for him and
on April 1 he had to be evacuated to the hospital with a ticket saying
“Nervous depression following overwork in service.” On April 14 he
seemed well enough for a convalescent camp, but, apparently through
red tape, was sent to a hospital at Orléans. On June 23 he had to be
evacuated to the Fleury annex. His eyes were dull and features flaccid;
his whole manner suggested fatigue. His pupils were myotic, tongue
tremulous, speech slow and stumbling. Knee-jerks were exaggerated and
gait difficult, the right leg dragging. Headaches. He could not perform
the slightest intellectual work and was the victim of retrograde and
anterograde amnesia. He was aware of the decline of his mental power
and was fain to struggle against it, becoming restless and sad. The
gaps in his memory grew deeper, he became more and more impulsive,
even violent, and had spells of excitement. Dizziness and palpitation
developed. Sometimes there were auditory and visual hallucinations of
such intense character that he tried feebly to commit suicide with a
penknife. He fell into semicoma, and then had a number of apoplectiform
attacks. W. R. +
Apparently the moral and physical situation of the lieutenant was
absolutely normal when the campaign began and, as he fulfilled detail
duties with absolute correctness for a number of months, Boucherot
argues that here is an instance of general paresis _declanché_ by
overwork.
Syphilis contracted before enlistment. Neurosyphilis aggravated by
service.
=Case 7.= (TODD, personal communication, 1917.)
A laboring man, 42, who always strenuously denied syphilitic infection,
proceeded to France eight months after enlistment. He had not been
in France three weeks when he dropped unconscious. He regained
consciousness, but remained stupid, dull in expression, and with memory
impaired. His speech was also impaired. There was dizziness and a
right-sided hemiplegia.
He was confined to bed four months and was then “boarded” for discharge.
Physically, his heart was slightly enlarged both right and left; sounds
irregular; extra systoles; aortic systolic murmur transmitted to neck;
blood pressure 140:40. Precordial pain, dyspnoea.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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