The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-04-21
CEREBRAL DISEASES.
DIR. VIM. A. Hammond on the Alarming
Growth of General Paralysis.

DIR. VIM. A. Hammond on the Alarming
Growth of General Paralysis.
Professor William A. Hammond delivered
An interesting address before the Medico
Legal Society upon General Paralysis OF
the Insane" IN New York on Wednesday,
in which ne described the symptoms of
general paralysis as follows:
Paralytic insanity is the better name, and
itSsymptoms can be described so that the
disease can be recognized when il is seen.
Physical symptoms fret manifest them
selves, the mental symptoms following
later on. The former are not always we'll
defined. Usually there Is a tremulous
motion about the lips as ii the person
was about TO burst into tears. Tremor of the
upper lip is indicative of the presence of
paralysis of the muscles, which extends to
all the muscles OF the body. impeachment OF
speech follows-the trouble being more with
the me chsDism OF speech than with the idea
of speech. Presently the mental ymptOms
come on. The patient does things showing
e lack of the decencies OF every day life.
frequently the mania takes the form of in
ordinate money spending. Once one OF my
patients went down town and bought several
hundred shOvels; another bought all the
dogs he could find; still another undertook
the task of buying pretty nearly all the jaw
elry OF large establishment, end only
stopped when the proprietors becoming
alarmed, refused to sell him any more.
This man took the jewelry he purchased
homs and bedeckiDg his wife until she gilt
tered with gems from head to foot compelled
her to walk up and down before him. Then
lie drew a check for So 600 and gave il to his
wife. When L was sent for the patient told
me that be was going 10 Europe. he in
tended to make tho voyage over IN the Great
Eastern and would charter the Scotia
tender. He would psy ma $l000,O00 a
month and he would have band on the
vessel, the members of which should De
atired in uniform of blue velvet with
diamond buttons.
The speaker then described other types
OF deluson in the early stages of the diseases,
and added: A patient once told me he had
purchased all the carpet factories in the
world. another owred all the trout streams
IN the country, and yet another was the
most lovely man in the world. All the
women were in love with him, and were
struck with admiration as he walked along
the streets. A man who thought himself
very light explained the egotism by claim
ing that he was filled with angels and would
soon ascend Ito space. After the symptoms
which l have observation-disclosures OF the lips
and officially of speech-there is an exag-
gerated movement about the face as if the
whole mind was in the ect of articulation;
one of the pupils becomes larger than the
other, a sure sign of general para
lyss there is also a dropping of the
upper eyelid, the eyeball turns and
the patient sometimes sees double. Defect
i've sensibility comes on. such as numbness
of the hands and feet, and lack Of sensibillty,
IN fact, in all the muscles Of the body.
Shuffijpg of the feet is noticeable. and paraly-
sis of the lower limbs often follows. In
some cases the symptoms disappear for a
time and to the general obser the person
Is a well man or woman. This remission
sometimes lasts for few months. | have
had two cases where II lasted eleven months.
| But the disease returned with increased vio-
ieLce. THEN the patient has commissions,
and enforces the truth of his delusions by
physical violence. Kleptomania is one oi
its forms. An instance of this morbid i'm
pulse is shown in the case Of young man
who use to knock down women and take of
their slippers. His bureau drawer was found
full of slippers.