The prevalence and psychology of pellagra / by J.W. Babcock.

  • Babcock, James Woods, 1856-1922.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The prevalence and psychology of pellagra / by J.W. Babcock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the threatening of some trivial danger completely carries them away. If pellagrous insanity assumes a type, it approaches rather that of chronic mania and dementia than that of monomania. A real or apparent stupidity, an obstinate mutism, is tolerably com- mon, which Lombroso, ingeniously terms “ psychical catalepsy.” But, as a rule, their insanity is of a misty, ill-defined, contra- dictory character, like that produced by old age, or by anemia, and differing in this point from general paralysis. Morselli11 gives four forms of pellagrous insanity, viz., supra- acute pellagra (typhoid pellagra), pellagrous melancholia, pel- lagrous dementia, and pellagrous pseudo-general paralysis. Babes and Sion14 say in part: “ Usually after several years of somatic pellagra, psychical symptoms come into prominence. At first the patients experience mental weakness. The peculiar pellagrous lunacy is preceeded by spasmodic, then tonic cramps and general bodily weakness and advances to a true pellagrous paralysis. The cramps of feet, hands and calf muscles are some- times so violent that they may result in epilepsy, contractions and swooning. So-called pellagrous epilepsy occurs as the result of spinal pain, the patient being drawn backwards. An important condition called pellagrous tetanus has been described by Strambio, opisthotonous being a common characteristic symptom. Some- times the patients are drawn forward and fall to the ground. Choreiform movements, especially of the head, are observed, gen- erally from the incipiencv of the disease, depression and weakness of the memory are noted. Roussel asserts that in this stage deliria do not appear, but that they come on in the spring of the second or third year. The sadness may advance to mutism and refusal of food, these conditions often being interrupted by lachrymose, or maniacal or suicidal episodes. An acute attack leaves the patient exhausted, depressed and hypochondriacal. Such attacks recur annually at about the same time, the intellect weakens, and grad- ually dementia develops. “ Pellagrous melancholia shows various stages: at first, there are psychic impediments followed by apathy or stupor. Delusions of sin, of persecution, etc., appear. Mania is rare, but catalepsy sometimes occurs. “ When paralysis supervenes, euphoria appears, presenting a disease-complex like general paralysis, but even in advanced stages of the diseases remissions may occur.’”