In a study of the blood in the insane the hemoglobin percentage was always below normal. In melancholia this per centage averaged 69.7; in epilepsy, 62.92; in general paralysis, 68.75; and in secondary dementia, 53.75.
The most marked diminution in the number of red corpuscles occurred in the eases of dementia, the average being 4,070,000 per cubic millimetre. The next in order were the epileptics, who pre sented a corpuscular strength of 4,520, 800. The cases of general paralysis gave a count of 4,700,250. W. Johnson Smith (Jour. of Mental Sci., Oct., '90).
Toxicity of blood-serum, in cases of mental disease, found to be as follows: In paranoia it resembles most nearly the normal; in lypemania it is less toxic; in dementia it is always diminished; in general paresis it is increased, as also in acute mania. In epilepsy, imbecility, idiocy, and "moral insanity" the toxicity is normal or diminished. D'Abundo (Jour. de Med., Feb. 12, '93).
Death of a rabbit induced by the in travenous injection of 15 minims of serum from a healthy man per ounces of the animal's weight. The toxic action of the serum of the insane was augmented when the state of excitation existed, and diminished when the con dition was one of depression, dementia, or idiocy. Rummo and Bordini ("Rev. Sper. di Fren. e di Med. Legale in Rela zione con l'Antrop. e ]e Sci. Giur. e Soc.," Reggio-Emilia, '93).
Examination of the post-mortem rec ords of the Dalldorf Asylum in Berlin. Heart-lesions found present in males in 61.67 per cent. and in females in 42.75 per cent. In the sane, according to the records of the Erlangen Pathological Institute, the proportion of heart-lesions is 27 per cent. for males and 23.2 per cent. for females. Valvular lesions are most frequent. C. Strecker (Schmidt's Jahrbficher, Sept. 15, '94).
The wide-spread degeneration of the arterial system, commonly in the insane, plays a very important part in the pathogenesis of mental aberration. Beadles (Jour. of Mental Science, Jan., '95).
Examination of fourteen cases with reference to leucocytes. In cases of se nile dementia there is an increase; in general paralysis, marked decrease; in cases with tendency to maniacal excite ment, great increase. Burton (Amer. Jour. of Insanity, Apr., '95).
In clearly established cases of insanity there is a considerable increase in the average frequency of the pulse, both among men and among women. Aver age from 2172 cases, 84.8 in women and 30.3 in men. Abnormal tracings are
found at some stage of the disease in a vast majority of cases. Th. H. Kellogg (N. Y. Med. Jour., July 6, '95).
Diseases of the heart may become the exciting cause of the insanity in predis posed persons. The different symptoms which accompany such disorders, such as pain in the prmcordial region, palpita tion, exaggerated heart-sounds, feelings of constriction, difficulty of breathing, headache, and giddiness, may all, by causing derangements of sensation and illusions of the senses, become the start ing-points of insanity.
Deficiencies of the heart's action may lead to mental affections in persons not predisposed, partly by deranging the cir culation of blood in the brain, and partly by altering the chemical action of the blood. The mental disorders thus caused generally take the form of mania hal lucinatoria; confusional insanity, with hallucinations. The hallucinations take their color from the abnormal org:inic feelings.
If the heart disease goes on without alleviation or betterment, the halluci natory derangement may pass into de mentia. Jacob Fischer (Allge. Zeit. f. Psych., B. 54, H. 6, '93).
Blood-pressure examined with Giirt ner's tanometer in various forms of in sanity. The normal pressure is from 105 to 130 millimetres of mercury. In general paralysis the blood-pressure in the beginning is about normal; later it falls progressively, reaching in the ter minal states a very low figure (50 to SO millimetres). When a remission occurs, the fall in blood-pressure seems to become arrested. In hebephrenia the blood examinations were unsatisfactory, differ ent cases giving different results. In melancholia the blood-pressure was al ways high. In circular insanity the vari ations in pressure were parallel with the changes in the psychical state; in the melancholic phases the pressure was very high, in the maniacal low. In epilepsy the author was able to take the blood pressure during the attack in only two cases. In one he found in the transition from the tonic to the clonic stage the pressure to be 220 millimetres, and in the other during the clonic stage 150 millimetres. In the post-paroxysmal stupor the blood-pressure sank in the first to SO and in the second to 70 milli metres. Fifteen minutes later it was 135 in the first, and, five minutes after, 125 in the other. A. Pilez (Phila. Med. Jour., from Wiener Min. Woch., Mar. 22, 1900).