NEURO'SIS (Nco-Lat., from Gk. vfiipov, nen (on, nerve). A numbid nervous state, either functional (due to reflex disturbance from a lesion or a condition in another part of the'body) or organic (due to local conditions). Neuroses are classed as kinrsio-neuros(s, or disorders of motion; osthesio-ncuros. S, or sensory disorders; tropho-neuroses. or disorders of nutrition; /hernia-neuroses, or disorders 44 heat perception; vasomotor neuroses or at/yin-act/roses. or dis ordl.r,. of circulation; m•cretory ncuruses: and cu roses, Among the latter are the acro m uroses, certain disorders affecting the ex tremities, such as acro-panesthesia and erythro ntelalgia; sexual neuroses. affecting the functions of the sexual organs; and psyrho-nearoses, in which there is a combination of mental and physical symptoms due to a complex condition. Dana classifies conveniently the functional ner vous diseases that are termed neuroses as fol lows; (1) Degenerative neuroses. including epi lepsy, hysteria. the spasmodic tics. paramyoelo nits, lhdrseirs disease. pa i mivoteaj.. and akinesia algera. (2) Acquired neuroses, in cluding chorea. tetanus. tetany, neurasthenia, sexual neuroses, traumatic neuroses, exophtlial nde goitre, and the oecnpation neuroses. (3) Late degenerative neuroses, inelnding paralysis agitans. (41 Trophie and vasomotor neuroses. inelnding facial hemiatrophy. aeromegaly, and angioneurotic erdema. \l any of these functional neuroses are considered under their proper titles.
The occupation neuroses are functional orders of tingling. partial loss of muscular power. involuntary or spasms, tremor and disability, which combine to prevent the use of certain groups of which have been tined habitually by the patient in his occupation or professional labors. .\n oven pa I ion neurosis is really a 1'011411i ion of muscle-fatigue occurring in :1 neurasthenic, with subsequent neuritis in a few cases. The most
common neurosis of this class is writers' (Tamp. or -:eriveners• palsy. This disease has l?een known since nbont 1R20. when the steel pen superseded the quill. :\ len. aged about twenty live to forty Years, are the most numerous vie. tints. Worry. intemperance, and other under mining influenees are predisposing onuses. as as nenrastheniao as already noted. Excessive writing. under mental pressure. is the especially if the writing is done with the hand in a cramped position. It is chromic disease. Nast sufferers learn to write with the left hand, but this also soon becomes affected. The use of gold pens has brought sonic relief. and has controlled the in crease of the affection among writers. But the great refuge and preventive is the typewriter. All who use the pen It a great extent should use large cork penholders and gold pens. Writing under cerefiral strain should be avoided.
Tcicgru ',hers' cramp is frequent among the manipulators of the „Morse instrument. About one in 200 operators suffer from loss of the grip.' The symptoms are much the same as in writers' cramp. Among the other occupation neuroses are musicians' cram p, pianists, violinists, flutists, and others; sewing spasm, among tailors, seamstresses, and shoemakers; milkers' spasm, which is very rare: bullet thinecrs' cramp, and many others.
In the treatment of occupation neuroses. rest or change of occupation, massage of nerve and muscle, electricity, douches, and the cautery have proved useful. Drugs are generally useless. ex cept such as relieve the neurasthenia of the pa tient. Consult Dana, Text-book of Nervous Dis eases (New York, 1892).