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

does things that are a little odd. He
SHOWS a slight eXaggeratiOn of state
ment, and is apt to get little careless
IN his dress. His wife tells him that he
Is overworked and needs rest. The
physician is called in, and perhaps the
uisease has not progressed so far but
tnat the physician gives the same adj
vice. But finally all these symptoms
become more marked, with the single
exception e Ss that the headaches disappear,
and the man declares that he feels
wonderfully WE'LL" or ''that he never
felt better in his life. He acts sspecul-
larly," andyet has strange new schemes
FOR making large sums of money in his
business or In outside speculation.
Ihe doctor is again called in, and
this time looks at the man with sharper
eye. He notices that the man with his
unceaslng exaggeratiOn of statement
mas hesltancy of speech, talks little
] Gnickly, and stammerS some; he slurS
!lttle IN prOnOuncing long sentences or
In articulating words with May con-
SonantS In them. His voice is pitched
In little higher key. He walks with
kind OF sidelOng shuttle or shamble,
ana takes a step a good deal shorter
than he used to. He has lost somewhat in
weight. The muscles round his lips and
eyes twiteh, and the pupil of one eye is
little larger than the other. His
tongue twitcheS. too, when he runs it
out. His skin is slightly moist and hot
and his pulse is full. All his sensations
are slightly dulled. He often cannot
distinguish. between colors, cannot see
distinctly, sometimes cannot even smell
pepper, or tell the difference between
whisky and vinegar, The doctor draws
circle with dot in the center, and
asks the man to bring the point of a
lead pencil down perpendicular
upon the dot. The man will bring
the point down a good ways
from the dot. The doctor touches the
mans knee gently and it jerks. Lack
OF control over the muscles is evident.
The man is told to walk along the floor
and he does so, but cannot turn around
sharply when told to do so. He talks
with readiness and it is easy to change
him from one subject to another far re-
mote. He doesn't like contradiction.
The characteristic of the disease is that
some one or two Of these symptoms may
be absent.
The doctor tells the man to keep
quiet" and take rest" and so forth,
but privately tells the mans family
that the patient has general paralysis.
In nine CAGES out of ten the family re
fuse to believe anything of the kind
They insist that the father or husband
has simple nervous prostratiOn, that it
is folly to call him insane, and it would
be an outrage to confne him in an
asylum. But in few months their
minds are disabused. The great bust
ness schemes and plans of the
victim are soon seen to be
Authorizations. He makes pur-
chaSes and contracts far In adj
vance of his means. He makes as
founding gifts to strangers. He brags
continually of his grand health and his
glowing prospects. If he is a man at
all accustomed to the use of money he
goes about making overtures for the
purchase, at enormous rates, of hotels,
horses, railroads, buildings, stock COM
panies-everything. His boastfulness
turns into evident decisions. He is the
best rider, or jumper, Or walker. or
card player, or fencer, or fighter in the
world. He offers to make matches in
all these. and every kind of sport
between himself and any one
for fabulous sums of money. He be-
comes more like a maniac daily. He
rushes around talking excitedly, gestic-
ulating wildly, exposing himself to ali
SOrCS OF pnySlcal perllS. lie is danger
Gus at this time, not because he is ugly
or vicious, but because he is bold in the
extreme and has absolutely no fear of
consequences. He finally has to be
placed in restraint. 1t is lucky if he is
taken to an asylum before he has made
serious inroads upon his property or be-
fore he has escaped personal injury.
Instances are laid down in medical
works, of general paralytics throwing
away their entire estates in a few days
or week.
This is the first stage of the dreaded
''paresis." In the second stage the
mans exaltation and excitement wear
off. He becomes fat and stupid. The
expression of his face is utterly vacant.