The Bacteriological Examination of the Urine in some Cases of General Paralysis

1913 ◽  
Vol 59 (247) ◽  
pp. 596-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Barton White
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disease ◽  
Intestinal Flora ◽  
Bacteriological Examination ◽  
General Paralysis ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Micro Organisms

The occurrence of micro-organisms in the urine is well known to be associated with a variety of pathological conditions, among which mental diseases have been included. A definite connection between urinary bacteria and insanity, however, does not seem to have been made out, the subject being even more obscure than the relation of the intestinal flora to mental disease, which has been much more frequently investigated.

Paralytic Insanity and its Organic Nature

1866 ◽  
Vol 12 (59) ◽  
pp. 348-367
Author(s):  
Franz Meschede ◽  
G. F. Blandford
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disease ◽  
General Paralysis ◽  
Points Of Interest ◽  
Fatal Form ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Morbid Anatomy ◽  
Postmortem Examinations

The disorder commonly called “general paralysis of the insane” presents so many points of interest to the pathologist and the physician, that as a necessary consequence it forms the commonest topic among the writings of those who specially study insanity. But after so much observation and so many treatises, it is disheartening to find that even now scarcely more than one fact with regard to it is laid down as settled and established beyond the possibility of doubt. One there is, the saddest that can be. It is, that for this malady we hitherto have found no cure; that to diagnose it is to pronounce the sentence, not only of incurable insanity, but also of speedy death. The marvel of the whole is, that although death occurs in every case at no very distant period, though postmortem examinations of general paralytics are made by hundreds every year in this and other countries, yet even at this day no two observers are agreed as to the pathology and morbid anatomy, as to the part in which it has its origin, or which constitutes its peculiar and proper seat. No wonder that the whole of the morbid anatomy of insane brain is vague and ill-defined, when this, the specially fatal form of mental disease, still hides itself from usâ still wraps itself in the mystery which envelopes all that relates to mind. I make no apology for drawing the attention of the readers of this Journal to a paper on the subject, published in the October and November numbers of ‘ Virchow's Archives/ 1865, and for giving a short and necessarily imperfect summary of its contents, it being too long for reproduction. But as every outline must needs be unsatisfactory, I trust my readers will go themselves to the original. In default of opportunity of examining many brains of paralytic patients, I present as a contribution to the English treatises on the subject these observations of another.

Diet as a Factor in the Causation of Mental Disease

1916 ◽  
Vol 62 (258) ◽  
pp. 505-529
Author(s):  
Chas. Mercier
Keyword(s):  
Present State ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
Good Deal ◽  
New Disease ◽  
Nervous Disease ◽  
General Paralysis ◽  
Dark Ages ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
The World ◽  
The Universe

It is just forty years since I first ventured to call in question the accepted doctrines of the causation of nervous diseases. In an article in the British and Foreign Medical and Chirurgical Review, an excellent quarterly now long defunct, I likened the imagination of physicians in this respect to the imagination of that fortunate sailor to whom was granted (nowadays we should say who was given) the fairy privilege of having three wishes fulfilled. After he had secured all the rum in the world and all the tobacco in the world by his first two wishes, he could think of nothing further to desire than “a little more rum.” So physicians, after they had attributed every known nervous disease to sexual excess and syphilis, had no explanation of a new disease to offer beyond a little more sexual excess. The only nervous diseases that were not then attributed partly or wholly to syphilis were tabes and general paralysis. Some five-and-twenty years ago, when an eminent physician was about to lecture upon the causes of insanity, I hazarded the conjecture that we should hear a good deal about masturbation, and I had no reason to repent of my prophecy. We may be pardoned a little natural exultation when we contrast the present state of ætiological doctrine with that which prevailed in those dark ages. We had then no more reason for our belief than Aristotle had for the belief that all heavy bodies tend to the centre of the universe, but now we know that the mental diseases that we used fondly to ascribe to sexual excess and syphilis are, in fact, due to repressed complexes and infantile incestuous longings. How foolish were our predecessors! How enlightened are we!

scholarly journals Classification of Insanity

1886 ◽  
Vol 32 (138) ◽  
pp. 233-234
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
International System ◽  
General Paralysis ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The University

It will be remembered by readers of the Journal that the subject of the classification of mental disorders was discussed at the Congress of Psychiatry, held at Antwerp in September last, and that certain members of the Congress representing different nationalities were appointed to obtain the best-recognised classifications of medico-psychologists in their respective countries, in the hope of obtaining an international system on which all might agree for practical purposes. The nomination of this Commission arose out of a paper read by M. Lefebvre, Professor in the University of Louvain, in which he himself laid down as types of mental disease, idiocy, cretinism, general paralysis, dementia, toxic forms of insanity, mania, melancholia, and circular insanity. The author did not confine himself to classification, but included in his statistical investigations, the number of insane persons in a given area, the causes of insanity in general, the duration of the disease, and its termination and mortality. However, the question of classification took precedence of all others.

Italian Retrospect

1899 ◽  
Vol 45 (191) ◽  
pp. 804-806
Author(s):  
W. Ford Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Cardiac Disease ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
Natural Sleep ◽  
General Paralysis ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Therapeutic Value ◽  
Sensory Motor ◽  
The Subject

The Use of Lactophenin as an Hypnotic.—Christiani (Il Manicomio moderno, 1898, No. 2) has recently very strongly advocated the use of lactophenin as an hypnotic in the sleeplessness of the insane. Although his paper has already been noticed in this country (see Brit Med. Journ., 1898, vol. ii, Epitome, par. 448), in view of the probable importance of the subject, and the fact that the alleged therapeutic value of the drug has received strong confirmation from the experiments of Namirez (Brit. Med. Journ., 1899, vol. i, Epitome, par. 128), it may perhaps be useful to give an account of his observations here. He states that he has used lactophenin as an hypnotic in over two hundred cases of insanity, including practically all its various forms. He administered it in doses of from two to three grammes suspended in sweetened mucilage, one hour after supper. He concludes that the drug has an hypnotic action which is certain, rapid, intense, prolonged, and free from any danger. This action manifests itself in from half an hour to one hour after administration. The sleep induced resembles natural sleep. It is profound, quiet, and restorative, lasting generally from four to nine hours. Return to consciousness is not accompanied by any sensory, motor, or gastro-intestinal disturbances. The drug has no cumulative action. Its prolonged use does not give rise to inconvenience of any kind. In one case of general paralysis its administration was followed by jaundice, which, however, he thinks may have been due to some other cause. He has not found any contra-indication to its use in the existence of morbid physical conditions in the insane, such as nephritis cardiac disease, senility, pneumonia. & c. It may be given in any form of mental disease. In some instances it has failed, chiefly in cases of severe delirium. Like other hypnotics, it tends in many cases to gradually lose its effect. He believes that lactophenin is the hypnotic par excellence in insomnia of the insane accompanied by serious involvement of the physical health.

The Clinical Value and Significance of Leucocytosis in Mental Disease

1914 ◽  
Vol 60 (248) ◽  
pp. 56-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disease ◽  
Temporary Increase ◽  
Clinical Value ◽  
The Past ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Chemical Products

The problem of leucocytosis has been the subject of much discussion in recent years. Amongst the earlier workers on the subject Virchow stands prominent, and he first gave the name of leucocytosis to a temporary increase in the number of leucocytes in the blood, this occurring both in physiological and pathological conditions. During the past twenty years special attention has been paid to this phenomenon, bringing to light some very important information. Amongst later workers Metchnikoff has done more to enlighten us as to the problem than any other worker. To briefly recapitulate his doctrine. The leucocytes protect the organism against harmful germs by catching them up in their pseudopods, by investing them, and thus robbing them of the possibility of exerting their deleterious action externally. The termination of an infective process would therefore depend alone on whether leucocytes possessing this function are present in the blood in sufficient numbers to overcome the invasion of the germs. The doctrine of Metchnikoff has been modified and also extended by other workers, notably Denys, Löwy, and Richter, who have proved that the value of the leucocytes does not depend on their pseudopods, but that their chemical products yield the strongest protection to the organism. The leucocytes are able by means of the bactericidal or antitoxic substances which they give off to paralyse the toxins produced by the bacteria, and in this way render the microbes harmless by depriving them of the weapons of attack, even if they cannot destroy them.

Amentia and Dementia: A Clinico-pathological Study

1905 ◽  
Vol 51 (213) ◽  
pp. 270-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Shaw Bolton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disease ◽  
Pathological Study ◽  
General Pathology ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
Cell Layers ◽  
Sensory Reception ◽  
Cortex Cerebri ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Mode Of Development

The following paper consists of further instalments of a research which has been conducted by the author for several years and which deals with the general pathology of mental disease from both clinical and pathological standpoints. The essential bases of a scientific general classification of mental diseases are a morbid anatomy and a general pathology. Before the latter problem could be successfully attacked a prolonged study of the structure and mode of development of the cell-layers of the cortex was necessary. This was commenced by a lengthy investigation of the region of the cortex concerned with the special sense of vision, and a paper on this subject was published in 1900.(1) This paper dealt, by the method of micrometric examination, with the general histology of the regions of the cortex cerebri concerned in the immediate reception (projection centre) and the elaboration (lower associational centre) of visual impressions; and the research resulted in the exact localisation of the primary visual area of the cerebral cortex. This region was described by the author as the “visuo-sensory” area, and to the surrounding area of visual association he applied the term “visuo-psychic.(2) The results obtained from this study of the cortical areas concerned with one special sense were considered sufficient for the purposes of the research, and the region of the cortex cerebri which occupies a higher plane in the hierarchy of cerebral function than those concerned with sensory reception and elaboration was then taken into consideration. Before, however, it was possible to apply the same method to the region of the cortex cerebri concerned in higher association and the general orderly co-ordination of psychic processes, it was first necessary to satisfactorily determine the particular part of the cortex which possesses these functions, as this is the subject of grave dispute on the part of different authors.(3)

Insane Movements and Obsession

1909 ◽  
Vol 55 (230) ◽  
pp. 500-509
Author(s):  
J. Lougheed Baskin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disease ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Advanced Age ◽  
Nervous Disease ◽  
General Paralysis ◽  
Open Window ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Mind

One cannot visit the wards of an asylum without realising that there are many types of mental disease, each with its own symptoms and physical signs, and that intercurrent and overlapping affections of the mind are especially common; thus, in maniacal excitement you may find delusions, in paranoia you find delusions with marked impairment of judgment, in general paralysis you get, in addition to physical signs, delusions, which vary from the facility of the early period to the more difficult mentation found in the advanced age, so that here we have three distinct types of disease, each of which may have delusions, and the delusions may all be of the exalted variety— the patients may consider themselves gods, kings, or mighty personages. The progress of research has had more difficulties to contend with in the subject of mind than in almost any other. It is a subject which is intangible, yet its reactions can be timed. It is unseen, yet its force can manifest itself in various ways through various channels, and it is even possible to transfer it from one person to another if the medium is so constituted, as in hypnotism, thought transference, and similar phenomena. It may occur to you to ask why has the subject of insane movement and obsession been chosen for this paper; well, gentlemen, for some years it has been my lot to witness, on my daily round of the wards, grotesque movements, antics and pantomimic display by patients, which, were they not interesting as symptoms and physical signs of nervous disease, might otherwise be depressing because of their meaninglessness. About three years ago, however, I had my attention drawn to a woman who seemed engaged in making movements, the precise character of which I had not read of or seen before in any asylum. I shall show you this patient making these movements by means of the cinematograph. We would have brought her here only she obstinately refuses to operate when watched, and it was necessary to have the cinematograph pictures focussed through a partly open window when she least suspected observation. Gentlemen, we are well acquainted with such terms as insane acts, insane expression, insane language, insane conduct, and insane movements.

Therapy and prevention for mental health: What if mental diseases are mostly not brain disorders?

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. A. Ioannidis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
Labor Education ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Political Decisions

AbstractNeurobiology-based interventions for mental diseases and searches for useful biomarkers of treatment response have largely failed. Clinical trials should assess interventions related to environmental and social stressors, with long-term follow-up; social rather than biological endpoints; personalized outcomes; and suitable cluster, adaptive, and n-of-1 designs. Labor, education, financial, and other social/political decisions should be evaluated for their impacts on mental disease.

scholarly journals Examining the impact of mental disease on type 2 diabetes outcomes: results from the EpiChron Cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Guerrero Fernández de Alba ◽  
A Gimeno-Miguel ◽  
B Poblador Plou ◽  
K Bliek Bueno ◽  
J Carmona Pirez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
Emergency Room Visits ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is often accompanied by other chronic diseases, including mental diseases (MD). This work aimed at studying MD prevalence in T2D patients and analyse its impact on T2D health outcomes. Methods Retrospective, observational study of individuals of the EpiChron Cohort aged 18 and over with prevalent T2D at baseline (2011) in Aragón, Spain (n = 63,365). Participants were categorized by the existence or absence of MD, defined as the presence of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or substance abuse. MD prevalence was calculated, and a logistic regression model was performed to analyse the likelihood of the four studied health outcomes (4-year all-cause mortality, all-cause hospitalization, T2D-hospitalization, and emergency room visits) based on the presence of each type of MD, after adjusting by age, sex and number of comorbidities. Results Mental diseases were observed in 19% of T2D patients, with depression being the most frequent condition, especially in women (20.7% vs. 7.57%). Mortality risk was significantly higher in patients with MD (odds ratio -OR- 1.24; 95% confidence interval -CI- 1.16-1.31), especially in those with substance abuse (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.84-2.57) and schizophrenia (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.50-2.21). The presence of MD also increased the risk of T2D-hospitalization (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.18-1.93), emergency room visits (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.21-1.32) and all-cause hospitalization (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.10-1.23). Conclusions The high prevalence of MD among T2D patients, and its association with health outcomes, underscores the importance of providing integrated, person-centred care and early detection of comorbid mental diseases in T2D patients to improve disease management and health outcomes. Key messages Comprehensive care of T2D should include specific strategies for prevention, early detection, and management of comorbidities, especially mental disorders, in order to reduce their impact on health. Substance abuse was the mental disease with the highest risk of T2D-hospitalization, emergency room visits and all-cause hospitalization.

scholarly journals Some chemical and bacterial characteristics of bottom deposits from lakes and estuaries

1953 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Allen ◽  
J. Grindley ◽  
Eileen Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Bacteriological Examination ◽  
Surface Layers ◽  
Digested Sludge ◽  
Faecal Pollution ◽  
Bottom Deposits ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Different Depths ◽  
Micro Organisms ◽  
Reducing Bacteria

Chemical and bacteriological examination of muds from sources differing widely in the degree of pollution to which they were subject showed great differences in the contents of carbon, nitrogen and sulphide. These differences were not correlated with differences in the severity of faecal pollution. The amount of organic matter available for growth of micro-organisms in the mud of different depths was not reflected in the figures for organic carbon. A convenient index of this factor was obtained by measuring the volume of gas evolved during anaerobic digestion over a prolonged period of incubation. The rate of evolution was increased by the addition of an inoculum of digested sludge from a sewage works.Sulphate-reducing bacteria appeared to be of two different types. In samples of mud from fresh-water lakes much higher counts were usually obtained in a medium containing comparatively low concentrations of inorganic salts and of lactate than in a medium containing much higher concentrations of these constituents. In samples from locations where conditions were more saline the reverse was usually true.Counts of Bact. coli and of Strep, faecalis together probably constitute the best index of faecal pollution in the examination of samples of mud. These organisms are, however, largely confined to the surface layers.

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