The Greeley tribune., 1905-03-23
Motor Fever


is s disea>e which is becoming a.arl--
ingIy prevalent, and which is already
receiving much attention from 81
entists and careful investigate -
I it Is com paratiyely uew in this c5ln-
try. scientific opinion has nc- yet
crysrallizei Is regards its rea >!E-
nifcance and its probable efterr on
the race. Abundant clinica ma
terial is at hand, however, and lleh
may be learned even now, by q thor
oughly study OF the disease and Its
phenomena. Authorities disagtes Is
to the etiology OF motor fevei. but
the exciting cause is general De-
lieyed to be the diplococcus huauciI,
although some Observers insist that
the bacillus getthereus is the chief
causiye factor As the dise1ss Is
never directly fatal, seldom resulting
in anything worse than violent IN
sanity in the patient, little opportu-
nity for post t-nortem invest CATION
has as yet been afforded 1t is sup
posed. however, that the cereo.um,
which suffers the brunt of the attack,
is overwhelmed by these micro
organisms. which multiply so rapidly
as to seriously obstruct the wheels
Of that organ.
OF the pathology Of this diseasewe
also know little. but it is believed
that there is rapid hypertrophy Of
certain brain-cells, producing en-
largement Of the Uranium, moral
anaesthesia, and hypercussednes OF
the whole nervous mechanism.
Gobbs reports one patient, killed by
an irare farmer. whose brain e1hio-
tied extensive ecchymosis. but il is
uncertain whether this was attribu-
ted to the disease Or to the farmers
club.
The symptoms are mainly those Of
intense mental excitement. The
patient exhibits morbid desire TO
annihilate time and space. regardless
OF consequences. His general con-
dition is viyidly, if not elegantly,
described by the slangy expression,
''chesty." He becomes impatient.
autocratic. unreasonable. and ac-
quires strong aversion to Officers Of
the law. Anorexa and insomnia
sometimes develop in the later stages
of the nalady. hallucinations super
vene. and the patient exhibits
strange tastes, such, for example, as
preferring the odor of gasoline 10
that OF the well known mepLitis
mephitica. The disease is slowly
progressive, and IL time the patient
becomes pitiable nervous wreck.
Diagnosis is not difficult. as iule,
although motor fever has been mis-
taken for mania porru. In the
latter disease, however, il is snakes
that the patient sees about him and
feels that he must kill. while in
motor fever it is usually women and
children. though sometimes dogs and
small babies. only. SnoopeTs has
mentioned a peculiar cold glitter to
the eye that he has found pathogno-
monic, but other observers have not
confirmed this. An expression OF
countenance yerging on the satanic
has been noted in the later stages,
but this is usually lacking in recent
victims.
The prognosis. unfortunately, is
bad. 1t is doubtful whether a pa
tient who has the disease III its worst
form ever recovers. Occasionally a
severe shock. such as might occur
from broken limb or a broken neck.
produces temporary amelioration of
the symptoms. but they usually re-
turn at later period, in a more vio-
lent form than ever.
The treatment OF motor fever, as
it stands today. is irrelevant and
chaotic. There are some in every
community who argue in favor of the
shotgun or the axe. AS prophy-
lactic measure, this may at times
benefit the people at large, for there
is no doubt that this line OF treat
ment is something Of deterrent, but
there is no evidence to show that it
has ever proven particularly salts
factory to the patieut. 1t IS the
duty OF the medical profession to
discourage these heroic measures, for
the disease is quite prevalent among
doctors, and good men are already
sufficiently scarce. \ reputation and
a fortune await him who discovers a
remedy for motor feyer-sonething
! that will do the work with neatness
and dispatch, without endangering
the life Of the victim or jeoyardizing
the hereafter Of the rest Of the COM