Mentally, the patient’s orientation for place was poor and his memory defective. Emotionally he was depressed or apathetic and was apprehensive. His flow of thought was slow, and his insight into his condition poor.
It is interesting that a variety of causes have been assigned in this case for the condition: such as, his work, anemia, unhygienic surroundings, and arteriosclerosis.
This case is not a sharply-defined case of post-traumatic general paresis, since there had undoubtedly been a variety of mental changes before the accident. Accordingly, recovery of damages to a full amount could hardly be expected as in certain cases in which the phenomena of paresis appear only after the trauma.
Post-traumatic cranial gumma—developing 13 months after local injury of skull.
Trauma: syphilitic lesion of skull at site of injury.
Case 93. The medicolegal interest of Richard Marshall is extreme, as may be seen from the following brief report by the Psychopathic Hospital to the Industrial Board.
“As to the case of Richard Marshall, a patient under the provisions of the temporary care act from December 1 to December 10, inclusive, this case has proved unusually interesting in that the patient has proved to be syphilitic by the Wassermann reaction of the blood. There is no evidence of syphilis in the examination of the cerebrospinal fluid. The X-ray examination of the skull, taken in connection with the Wassermann reaction of the blood, warrants the diagnosis of syphilitic osteitis of the skull at the site of the old injury. We regard his present condition as shown by the X-ray as a syphilitic bone condition predisposed to by the injury. We do not find that the patient has any features of traumatic neurosis.
“Mentally, having an actual age of 30, patient grades at 11.2 years. It may be that patient has always been a moron. He has earned about $8.30 a week.
“We regard the patient as deserving treatment and feel that responsible parties in the case would do well to have such treatment instituted.”