On the increase of diseases of the nervous system and of insanity / by William W.Ireland.

  • Ireland, William W. (William Wotherspoon), 1832-1909.
Date:
[1900]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the increase of diseases of the nervous system and of insanity / by William W.Ireland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    of physicians of experience and reputation on this question, I addressed to a number of medical men the following queries : 1. Have you found since you began to practise medicine that there has been an increase in the relative frequency of diseases of the nervous system? 2. Have new forms come into prominence? 3. Have you observed any change in the type of old diseases ? To these circulars I received a good many interesting answers, some of them from men whom I only knew by reputation. Several of my correspondents took the occasion to point out the dangers of fallacy in answering these ques- tions. Medical men generally begin to practise amongst the poor, and in the course of time come to have more patients amongst the richer classes, who are subject to diseases of a different character. Some physicians gain in the estimation of the public a reputation for the treatment of specific maladies or diseases of different organs, and thus gain more patients of one kind than another. The most trustworthy answers towards our inquiry might be expected from medical men who had long practised in one district in the country, or in small towns, treating every class of patients alike ; but these gentlemen who have done me the favour of answering my inquiries all declare that they see no reason to affirm that diseases of the nervous system have increased in their districts relatively to other diseases. Some physicians of experience practising in large towns are of the same opinion. Sir W. T. Gairdner and Dr MacVail in Glasgow, Dr George Balfour in Edinburgh, Dr Leech in Manchester, Dr David W. Finlay in Aberdeen, Dr Henry Barnes in Carlisle, and Dr Grieve, late Surgeon-General of British Guiana, have noticed no increase in the relative frequency of nervous diseases. We may spare time for the reply of Dr A. M. M'Aldowie, of Stoke-on-Trent: I should be inclined to say off-hand that nervous diseases are more frequent now than formerly; but on examining the facts, I feel convinced that the increase is apparent only, and is due to the fact that one recognises early system lesions, neurosthenia, etc., in much slighter forms than fifteen or twenty years ago. On comparing my case books (I keep a record of every case I see, in private or hospital), I