On aphasia, or loss of speech in cerebral disease / by Frederic Bateman, M.D.

  • Bateman, Frederick, Sir, 1824-1904.
Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On aphasia, or loss of speech in cerebral disease / by Frederic Bateman, M.D. 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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    ache. Eventually, in the otherwise taciturn patient, were observed great vivacity and wantonness, and the ordinary symptoms of plumbism. A few days afterwards, he ceased to answer any questions, and was unable to utter a syllable; there was also agraphia. A fortnight later his speech par- tially returned, and he spoke a few words very indistinctly, and would for many hours together cry out Ya-ater, Mau-auter, and also Hu-unger with joyful, excited voice. This patient gradually but entirely recovered. It wiU be observed that in some of the preceding cases, the subjects of them were lunatics or persons of weak mind ; in my opiaion, they are none the less valuable on that account; in fact, Broca's first two cases, the publication of which has given rise to so much discussion and research throughout the scientific world, were observed by that distinguished patholo- gist in an institution devoted to the treatment of the various forms of mental disease. Although aphasia is by no means a very common symptom in the insane, I cannot but think that the alienist physician possesses unusual opportunities for contributing to the solution of what still remains one of the most difficult questions in cerebral pathology. Amongst British authors the earliest observations that have come under my notice are those of Crichton, who, ia his chapter on Memory, mentions several cases bearing on the subject ujider consideration, from which I have selected the following:— An attorney, in his seventieth year, having indulged in great venereal excesses, was suddenly seized with great pros- tration of strength, giddiness, insensibility to all the concerns of life, and every symptom of approaching fatuity. When he wished to ask for anything, he constantly made use of some inappropriate term; instead of asking for a piece of bread he asked for his boots, and if these were brought he knew they did not correspond to the idea he had of the things he wanted, and therefore he became angry, yet he would still demand some of his boots or shoes, meaning bread. If he wanted a tumbler, he would ask for a chamber utensil, and if it happened to be the said chamber utensil he wanted, he would ask for a tumbler, or a dish. He evidently was con- scious he used wrong words, for when the proper expression was spoken by another person, and he was asked if it was such a thing he wanted, he always seemed aware of the mis-