Re incontinence, see [Case 384], of Guillain and Barré.
Officer dies in convulsions: Servant develops hysterical convulsions, which vanish on being explained as such.
Case 501. (Hurst, March, 1917.)
An officer and his servant were blown up by a shell. The servant ran to fetch a stretcher for the officer, to whom he was much attached, but on his return the officer made a few convulsive movements and died. Immediately after, the servant had a fit. During the next two months he had eleven more. Hurst made a diagnosis of hysterical fits resulting from emotion, explained his idea of their origin and nature to the servant, and the convulsions then ceased completely.
Re hysterical convulsions, see remarks under [Case 443].
Course of a case with crises of trembling.
Case 502. (Roussy, April, 1915.)
A soldier in the artillery, who had been in the lines from August as a kitchenman, looking after the food of the first line trenches, with which his shelter was connected by communication trenches, 800 meters away, was on January 17, 1915, with three other men placed in the shelter kitchen of the trenches but a short distance away from the French artillery. The firing passed over the heads of these men but they could feel the windage, which obliged them to lie down each time. The evening of that day, several hours after firing had ceased, the kitchenman had a shivering spell, with trembling that lasted all night; after which these crises came on every day. He had finally to be evacuated to the rear.
According to Roussy, such patients always have neuropathic taint and a history of previous crises. Such a patient ought to be handled with rather severe discipline. In this way, according to Roussy, the reappearance of a severe attack of convulsions can be prevented. But these patients cannot go back to the front.