St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-25

fused with sssoftening of the BRAIN"
1t is really a hardening of tn brain, and
the name "paresis" is really mis-
homer. The proper name is 'gen
eral paralysis" and the disease
is simply deterioration of a mans
whole nervous organization. General
paralysis is not only kind of insanity,
but it is disease as distinct from any
other disease as measles is from typhoid
fever. No other mental disease has
such an intimate relation to the mys-
terious connection of mind and matter,
and the study of general paralysis has
vastly increased the worlds knowledge
as to what the mind of man really is
and how it is linked to his physical
body.
ESquirol first diagnosed it fifty years
ago Since then the disease has great
ly increased, and mental experts gen
orally consider it the one striking dlS-
ease Of highly civilized life, the dreaded
enemy of active business and proteS-
sional men. The proportion OF cases In
the cities to those in the country Is near
ly as five to one. 1t is uncommon In
Scotland. in Norway. and Sweden, is
utterly unknown in Asia and among
savage tribes, and is infrequent in any
land or place where the habits OF the
people are simple, hardy, and hygie ME.
Eight men have it to one woman,
but if women live riotouS, excited lives
they are almost as likely to have itsas
men. DR.. Clouston, the great Scotch
expert on general paralysis and the
superintendent of the royal EdInburg
asylum for the insane, says that "he
never saw but one woman OF rank
general paralvtic." 1t is hereditary In
10 per cent of cases. 1t almost never at
tacks any one younger than thirty years
old, or older than sixty years. and gen.
orally occurs between the ages OF TWEEN
ty-five and forty. The things that cause
general paralysis are the things that
most excite and at the same time most
exhaust the highest brain energy. When
these things happen in excess III the
case of any man, even II he mas oeen
mentally trained, general paralysis IS
likely to follow, and when they happen
in the case of man who has not been
mentally trained, general paralysis IS
almost the sure result. The country OF
"self-made" men is the country OF par
etics. In countries having large army
and navy there is apt to be a large per
centage of cases of general paralysis,
due to the influences of naval and MILL
tary life. Politicians, actors. specu,-
tors, Wall street men, and all
men leading lives of sudden changes
and great excitement, are likely to
become general paralyticS. 1t is the
great revenge which nature takes upon
an artificial, pleasure-seeking, money
making, over-worked and over-stimulat-
ed life. Among successive generation
born and bred in this kind of life the
disease becomes hereditary. General
paralysis is a disease of the gray mat
ter of the brain-the highest organic
product in nature. This is the substance
which reaches its highest develop
meut in middle life, the seat of
a mans faculties, whose uses
are called forth in the highest
degree by the European races who live
in towns. Its abuses by poisoning and
overstrain are more common under
these circumstances. A progressive
and incurable disease of this mind It's
sue causes the whole nervous system to
die, surely and progressively. Back OF
the decay of the gray matter was the
overstimulation of the small blood yes
sells of the brain. Here, strictly speak
ing, the disease begins. The tissue of
these blood vessels, and hence the gray
nervous matter itself, degenerates.
The beginnings of the disease are. for
a long time, utterly unnotlceable, even
to the trained eye of the physician.
When they do become noticeable atsall
the disease is far advanced. Even then
few persons not physicians. and physi-
clans who are more or less experts Sin
mental diseases, can believe that the
man is really insane. or that he needs
any more than "a little rest" The saf-
ferer himself goes about his business
as usual. recognizes his friends. and has
no apparent Authorizations. Finally3his
friends notice that he is not just the
same. He complains of headaches, per-
haps. He is a little forgetful, and, if
he is not usually good-tempered man,
is apt to be somewhat irritable. He