Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-07-30
Cerebral Diseases.

Professor William A. Hammond de-
liverel an Interesting address before
the Medico- Legal Society on the 7th
inst, upon General Paralysis OF the
Insane, with special reference to the
case of Abraham Gosling." DR.. G. s.
Wood presided, and before the delivery
of the address large amount of mis-
cellaneous business was transacted.
DR.. Hammond was received with ap
plause. He said: In accepting your
invitation was not unmindful of the
fact that the society is composed in
great part of gentleman of the legal
profession, and that hence what might
have to say should be devoid. as far as
possible, of technical expressions. The
matter is one which ought to be under
stood more in its strictly medical rela-
tons by our legal fellow members.
The subject is one of the utmost i'm
pertance, both to the medical and the
legal professions. 1t relates to dis
ease of the brain which is daily becom-
ing moro frequent, and which is ap-
parently more than any other disorder
an outcome of civilization. speak of a
disease which is characterized by a re.
Alarkable series of physical and mental
symptoms, SO decided in character, 50
readily capable of recognition, that u
competent observer could not fail to
appreciate them, and yet within the
past few weeks u case has occupied the
courts of New York in which physicians
on one side testified to the existence Of
tue disease in question, and physicians
on the other were equally confident
that there was no such disease. Sure
ly this is not credible. Some forms of
insanity may be of such an obscure ma.
ture and the attendant circumstances
may be honestly interpreted SO differ
emily by competent experts that di-
vergence of opinion is not only allowa-
bic but is to be expected, just as there
are laws which are differently inter-
preted by ditferent courts. But in re-
gard to other cases there is uniform
concurrence of opinion among those
learned in the law, and differences are
only possible where they result from
ignorance or want of attention.
The disease of which l speak is like
one of these laws. 1t cannot be mis-
taken for anything else, or fail of
| recognition, except as the consequence
Of imperfect knowledge somewhere
among those who give their opinions
concerning it. There are many names
for the disease. by some it is called
general paresis, by others general
paralysis, again, general paralysis OF
the nsaae, and again paralytic INSANE
ty. For many reasons 1 think this
latter is the best of all the designa-
tions proposed and l shall therefore
use it. shall not go into any minute de-
| scription of the affection. L shall say
nothing OF its pathology or its treat
ment. My object is merely to present
| u picture Of it SO that one can see tor
himself what it is like and all determine
for themselves whether the case TO
which have alluded was au instance
of the disease or not. I therefore
confne my remarks almost entirely to
| d consideration of the symptoms and
then apply them to the case in point.
Paraiytlc insanity is the better name,
and its symptoms can be described so
that the disease can be recognized when
! it is seen. Physical symptoms first man
lfest themselves, the mental symptoms
following later on. The former are
not always we'll defined. Usually there
is tremulous motion about the lips,
as if the person was about to burst into
,ears. Tremor Of the upper lip is in
| dicative of the presence OF paralysis OF
the muscles, which extends over all the
muscles of the body. impeachment of
speech follows-the trouble being more
| with the mechanism of speech than with
| the idea Of speech. Presently the men
tai symptoms come on. The patient
does things showing lack of the de-
cencies OF everyday life. frequently
the mania takes the form of inordinate
money spending. Once one of my pa
tients went down town and bought sev-
eral hundred shovels, another bought
all the dogs he could fnd, still another
undertook the task of buying pretty
nearly all the jewelry of large estab-
lishnent, and only stopped when the
proprietors, becoming alarmed, refused
to sell him any more. This man took
the jewelry he purchased home, and
bedecking his wife until she glittered
with gems from head to foot, compelled
her to walk up and down before him.
Then he drew u check for So 600 and
gave it to his wife. When was sent
tor the patient told me that he was
going to Europe. He intended to make
the voyage over in the Great Eastern
and would charter the Scotia as ten
der. He would pay me 100000 q
month and he would have band on
the vessel, the members of which
should be attired in uniform of blue
velvet with diamond buttons.
In making the application of his
theme DIR. Hammond described his visit
to Abraham Gosling in the TOmbs on
the 25th Of February, and of the thor.
ough examination made of his case,
claiming that Gosling showed all the
symptoms above described. He added:
- His was well marked case of gener-
III paralysis. If Gosling was not q
paralytic never saw one. will stake
my professional reputation upon that
fact. If that man is alivo in three
years will burn my diploma and re-
tire to private life"
DIR. Hannah, who appeared for the
defense on the Gosling trial. defended
his professional action in the matter