THE TREATMENT OF DELIRIUM TREMENS WITH FARADIC SHOCK THERAPY; A NEW APPROACH BASED UPON THE PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL CONCEPT
Authors: Nathaniel J. Berkwitz
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1942)

Article1 March 1942THE TREATMENT OF DELIRIUM TREMENS WITH FARADIC SHOCK THERAPY; A NEW APPROACH BASED UPON THE PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL CONCEPTNATHANIEL J. BERKWITZ, M.D., PH.D.NATHANIEL J. BERKWITZ, M.D., PH.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-16-3-480 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptDelirium tremens is an acute alcoholic psychosis which usually follows a prolonged debauch, but which may also appear as an episode in the course of chronic alcoholism. It occurs in less than 10 per cent of all alcoholic admissions.1It is characterized by illusions, terrifying hallucinations, marked tremors and profuse perspiration. Usually it is preceded for several days by anorexia, restlessness and fear, but it may come on acutely. Kraepelin2stated that its duration varied from a few days to two weeks, but recent workers report that the average case recovers in four to six days.3Besides the typical cases,...Bibliography1. MOOREGRAY MMG: Delirium tremens: study of cases at Boston City Hospital, 1915-1936, New England Jr. Med., 1939, ccxx, 953-956. CrossrefGoogle Scholar2. KRAEPELIN E: Clinical psychiatry, Translated by DEFENDORF, A. R., 1902, The Macmillan Company, New York, page 122. Google Scholar3. PIKERCOHN PJV: The management of delirium tremens, Jr. Am. Med. Assoc., 1937, cviii, 345-349. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. GRINKER RR: Neurology, 2nd ed., 1937, Charles C. Thomas, Baltimore, page 893. Google Scholar5. SOLLMAN T: Pharmacology, 5th ed., 1936, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, page 678. Google Scholar6. CLINECOLEMAN WBJV: The treatment of delirium tremens, Jr. Am. Med. Assoc., 1936, cvii, 404-409. WORTIS, H.: Delirium tremens, Quart. Jr. Studies on Alcohol, 1940, i, 251-267. CrossrefGoogle Scholar7. 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Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Minneapolis, Minnesota*Received for publication March 24, 1941.From the Division of Nervous and Mental Diseases, University of Minnesota, and the Neuropsychiatric Division of the Minneapolis General Hospital. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 1 March 1942Volume 16, Issue 3Page: 480-494KeywordsAlcoholicsAlcoholismDelirium tremensFearHallucinationsShockSweat Issue Published: 1 March 1942 PDF downloadLoading ...