The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-17
IN5lIit s.:;ale
A FATAL MAlADY.
ofteuing OF the Brain Is the Deadliest G
All Diseases

=
less OF maladies is that terrible form O.
insanity technically called general par
esls or psretic dementia, and known t.
iaynen as "Softening of the brain
Its unvarying history entities it Il
precedence over consumption, cancer
brlght's disease-in short, places il
peerless in bad prominence.
And, as if this were not enough, its
malignity is emphasized by the way in
which it juggles with its victim before
It extinguishes MS life. 1t changes his
personality, dethrones reason, almost
eliminates the mind, and, steadily
weakening the body, leaves toward the
last mere skeletal, vegetative being,
scarce recognizable as the vestige of It's
former self-unknowing, unfeeling.
mindless-to his friends at once a tear
full memory and terrible objective
presence. Finally death comes in a
form horrible enough to be the fitting
climax of so awful disease.
Of course it is not TO be understood
that the stages Of this disease follow an
absolutely fixed routine. The abnormal
is everywhere only perversion of the
normal, and until we have two organ
isms exactly alike we shall never see
two identical cases of any disease.
Still, the essential symptoms of typical
cases OF pareSis are singularly uniform.
1t seems paradoxical that the patient,
who, through the early stages, thinks
himself lost forever, viii a few weeks
or Inonths later, when the fatal disease
has more firmly liked its hold, declare
himself absolutely weli-better, stronger
Shan ever in his life beforehand laugh
to Scorn any one who contradicts him.
During the early stage of his disease he
will not admit a ray of hope, because
he feels hopeless.
Later on, though his body is weak
and every faculty and function is fail
ing, he cannot be persuaded that such
is the case, because he feels well. But
why, it may be asked, does the
patient experience feelings SO at
variance with the facts. Usu-
ally a person feels i'll because he
is i'll, or well because he is well: why is
it otherwise with the paretic? Now,
the why's" of things physiological are
not always easy to make out, neverthe-
less it happens that we are able to give
bt least proximate solution of this
seeming anomaly. Everyone knows
that the brain is in some way indissolu-
bly, connected with the mind. 1t ap-
pears further that the activity of the
mind depends, whatever the link of
connection, upon the circulation of the
blood in the brain.
Under normal conditions the blood
supply Is regulated and momentarily
changed la accordance with impressions
sent from the outer world But in the
brain Of the paretic the mechanism that
should regulate the blood supply is out
Of order. During the early stage flow
Of blood is not permitted Hence the
mind is persistently sluggish and de-
pressed. Tell the patient that he has
fallen heir to a fortune-no responsive
thrill goes through his mind Entreat
him to cheer up-he cannot
Later on, through a different malad-
iustmentof the controlling mechanism,
the brain of the paretic is permanently
with blood. A perpetual
sense of well being then encompasses /
him. Tell him that he is ill-he laughs :
1t you. Assure him that he is doomed
10 an early grave-he replies: AZ will
i've a century" He feels, as he never
telt before, the lust and strength of |
youth. The circulation in his brain is /
over-active; his ideas cor
respond But over-activity means ex- /
,essive wear on the mechanism of the |
just as on an inanimate ma
chime. Hence the brain in which this .
abnormal activity prevails wears out .
rapidly. Its cells degenerate and be-
come useless At last it is so wasted .
that its functionings produce only the
most documentary mental states.
Then the tissues become so weakened
hat small blood vessels burst lacerat-
ng the brain and bringing on those
which are so painful a
feature of the disease and which finally
terminate the patients life Post-mor-
.em examination will show that the
brain of the paretic may not be soft
med, but that its cells and other It's
'ueS are everywhere more or less de-
generated or decayed. 1t is inconceiv-
lble that these wasted tissues could be
eplaced with normal ones hence
t cannot even be hoped that an adj
-anced case of paresis will ever be
ured But of course there is time in
he history Of every case when decay is
'nly incipient At the disease in this
tage preventive medicine may hope
ONE day to aim its shafts successfully.
So much for the disease paresis. Now
s to its causes 1t can be epitomized
n two wurds-exceSsive action. Paresis
S a protest of nature aga isst abuse of
junction. Whatever act tends to bring
90 great or too continuous strain upon
he blood vessels of the brain tends TO
weaken them and thus invites paresis.
Nj mental overactivity brings such a
train But few of Us are gifted with
working enthusiasm that will ever
menace our minds. Still there are
asses doubtless in which mental over
work OF a strictly legitimate kind has
'een an active factor in paving the way
or paresis,
Business stress and worry are far
nOre common factors Alcohol is vet
more potent accessory. But in the vast
majority of cases, though these aces
Dry causes have their effect. the chief
auSes of paresis are habits and excuses
hat cannot properly more than hint
t here. It will now be plain WHY
arrests is disease Of civilization-sad
omnie .. ary though that be-more COM
non with men than with women. more
j valent in tn city than in the coun-
ry, and one that is claiming a larger
oterie of victims year BY year-Dr II.
. Williams, in North American Re
lew .