A case has been put on record by Wille,[27] under the name of "disease
of impulsive tics," concerning a young man twenty-two years of age, who,
in addition to the grave taint of a psychopathic heredity, exhibited
early indications of irritability and a tendency to obsessions.
Systematised movements of face, shoulders, and arms, accompanied with
coprolalia, were not long in appearing. It was noticed that the
psychical symptoms were periodic, and that their nocturnal exacerbation
coincided with the advent of hallucinations. Two attacks of mania came
on, but a cure followed after four years' time.
It may be questioned whether we are not dealing here with a case of
dementia præcox, rather than with the true Gilles de la Tourette's
disease; at any rate, tic may be a concomitant of grievous mental
affections.
Another case of still more advanced mental deterioration may be quoted
from Bresler:[28]
In this patient contractions of facial and limb musculature at the
age of nine were succeeded by some years of epileptic outbreaks;
and outrageous conduct towards his mother and sister, coupled with
acts of wanton brutality and destruction, at length necessitated
his removal to an asylum. He suffers from convulsive tic of face
and shoulders, while his speech is drawling and syllabic, and
interrupted by guttural ejaculations corresponding to the
manifestations of his tic.
It is superfluous to dilate further on this part of our subject, and we
shall take another opportunity of dealing with the question of tics in
idiots and the mentally backward. For the present, the statements of
the chapter may be summarised in a few words:
In the mental condition of the subject of tic there may be
differentiated two elements: the one is fundamental, and is sufficiently
described in the phrase mental infantilism; the other is superadded, and
consists of a multiplicity of psychical imperfections which reveal, at
the same time as they exaggerate, the inherent defects constituting the
former, in particular volitional infirmity. By this means a useful
clinical distinction may be drawn between various tics, according as
they take their rise in one or other form of mental affection, and at
the same time the practical gain is considerable, for treatment must be
directed both to the physical and the psychical aspect of the malady,
and its success in the former sphere is greatly dependent on intelligent
recognition of and acquaintance with the nature of the latter.
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