Syphilis of the brain and spinal cord, showing the part which this agent plays in the production of paralysis, epilepsy, insanity, headache, neuralgia, hysteria, hypochondriasis, and nervous derangements / by Thomas Stretch Dowse.

  • Dowse, Thomas Stretch.
Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Syphilis of the brain and spinal cord, showing the part which this agent plays in the production of paralysis, epilepsy, insanity, headache, neuralgia, hysteria, hypochondriasis, and nervous derangements / by Thomas Stretch Dowse. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    men, who specially signalised themselves in investigating this dis- ease, we find the names of Bartholin, Zacchias, Th. Bonct, Tissot, Morgagni, Astruc, Lazerme, Sauvages, Lieutaud, Cyrillo, Piso, Cardona, Raiken, Pelargus, etc., etc.; whilst the most eminent writers of the modern period are Ricord, Diday, Lagneau, Lan- cereaux, Fournier, Bazin, Virchow, Wegner, Dittrick, Von Baren- sprung, Zeissl, Bergh, Boeck, Bidenkap, and Bumstead; and in our own country, Murchison, Moxon, Weber, Payne, Lane, Lee, De Meric, Hill, Gascoyen, Jonathan Hutchinson, and Wilks. With especial reference to the action of syphilis upon the ner- vous system and nervous centres, nothing much appears to have been known, not even by such distinguished authorities as John Hunter and Sir Astley Cooper. Yet it is evident from the works of Fernel and Fracastor, who speak of the cure of venereal algae,* that the effect of this poison upon the nerves could not have been altogether unknown to them, and Paracelsus t states that the Lues Gallica is at times compli- cated by paralysis and disease of the heart. Nicholas Massa speaks of several specific neuralgias. J Baillou also writes of specific neuralgias, and mentions the case of a patient who, after suffering from a complicated cephalalgia, with loss of several senses, died through a venereal tumour compressing the optic and olfactory nerves. § Riviere mentions |1 a cephalde ot the same nature. Baglivi^ mentions the case of a Venetian who was struck with paralysis in one of his limbs, in consequence of a venereal infection. In 1813 Pariset** stated that sometimes there are found arising from syphilis accidents of a varied character, such as epilepsy. Bardtt also affirms that the syphilitic virus has the power to irritate the nerves and to disturb their tranquillity, without any alteration * ' Curadoloris an a lue venerea,' 'UniversaMedica.'lib. vii., consilium Ixxii. t 'Livre de Chirurgie, De morbo Gallico.' X Ibid. § ' Liber Paradigmatum,' No. 7. II ' Centurie,' li,observ. xci. ^ * Accroissement de la Medecine prat. trad, de Boucher,' 1851, p. 1S5. ** ' Dictionnairc des Sciences Medicales,' a I'article Causes. +t Ibid.