CASE 8 (D. S. H. 8807, Path. 556) very probably a feeble-minded subject. At
all events patient had done no work in his life, had been given to spells of
restlessness and excitement, and had talked disconnectedly. Symptoms were
thought to have dated from the tenth year. It is questionable whether a
statement that he was managing the Electric Railway and Shipbuilding Company
can be regarded as delusional, that is, as believed by the patient. Death
was due to (perhaps septicemia from one abscess of jaw and to hypostatic
penumonia), the brain appeared normal but Dr. W. L. Worcester found, besides
certain acute changes, also satellitosis. The question remains open whether
the case should be regarded as defective or as belonging to the dementia
praecox group.
CASE 9. (D. S. H. 8605, Path. 568) had an ill-defined attack of mental
disease and was in D. S. H. at 29. Thereafter, lived in Gloucester
Almshouse, but at 51 became excited and was returned to D. S. H. where she
died at 59. Possibly hallucinated: someone called her mother (single
woman). Delusion: the spirit is here (Protestant). Patient was given to a
stream of muttered, vulgar and incoherent talk. Possibly the case was
residual from hebephrenia. Dr. W. L. Worcester found cell changes in the
superior temporal gyri (finely granular stainable substance in practically
all nerve cells) and not elsewhere. The correlation is suggestive with the
probably auditory hallucinosis. The brain weighed 1190 grams. Death due to
bronchopneumonia. Heart and kidneys normal.
CASE 10. (D. S. H. 10145, Path. 928) a Danish fisherman possibly
manic-depressive, victim of three attacks at 40, 50, and 69 years. The first
attack followed loss of wife, and delusions concerning being born again
developed. The last attack showed few well-defined delusions, as patient
was in a bewildered and incoherent state. One statement is characteristic:
if patient had remained in Denmark, he might have inherited the throne. The
autopsy showed most extensive arteriosclerosis, including basal cerebral.
Death from general anasarca and jaundice. (cholelithiasis). There was some
question of an acute encephalitic lesion in the tissues lining the posterior
half of the third ventricle. Various chronic lesions (splenitis,
endocarditis, diffuse nephritis), malnutrition.
CASE 11. (D. S. H. 7767, Path. 792) was a case possibly of manic-depressive
type (previous attacks Hartford Retreat and Danvers State Hospital) who
worked as machinist between attacks and died at 70, having been in D. S. H.
8 years. Patient was greatly emaciated and anemic from chronic ulcers of
ileum. There was also cholelithiasis. There was a mild coronary atheroma
and slight mitral valve edge thickening.
The delusions expressed were those of great wealth. Patient also thought he
was a great poet. No brain changes were found (A. M. Barrett).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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