1 From the view taken by the author as to the nature of the disease under consideration, it is evident that its proper position would be under affections of the nervous system. But as this view has not been established to the satisfaction of all who have studied the disease, it seems appropriate to place it in the intermediate position selected for it by the Editor, between muscular and nervous diseases.
SYNONYMS.—Chronic anterior poliomyelitis; Spinal form of progressive muscular atrophy; Adult form of progressive muscular atrophy; Wasting palsy (Roberts); Cruveilhier's atrophy; Amyotrophia spinalis progressiva (Erb).
DEFINITION.—Progressive muscular atrophy is a gradually progressive wasting of a group or groups of voluntary muscles, independent of primary functional inactivity and of local lesion to nerve or muscle.
HISTORY.—We are indebted to William Roberts2 for the best historical account of this disease up to the date of publication of his monograph. Van Swieten seems to have described the first case, in 1754, but without comment. Cooke in his work On Palsy,3 published 1822, relates a case which had been under the care of Cline—that of an officer, first attacked in 1795. Caleb H. Parry4 reported another case in 1825, and Sir Charles Bell5 three cases in 1830. Abercrombie described a marked case in 1828,6 Dorwall7 three striking cases in 1831, and Herbert Mayo8 two evident cases in 1836. In 1849, Duchenne presented to the Institute of France his memoir on Atrophie musculaire avec Transformation graisseuse. In the next year Aran published his essay entitled Recherches sur une Maladie non encore décide du Système musculaire (Atrophie musculaire progressive),9 in which he claimed priority in description. He reported in all eleven cases, and regarded it as a primary muscular affection. Aran's researches were very important, and have caused his name to be intimately associated with the disease along with that of Duchenne.
2 An Essay on Wasting Palsy, London, 1858.
3 London, 1822, p 31.
4 Collected Works, London, 1825, p. 523.
5 The Nervous System of the Human Body, London, 1830.
6 On the Brain and Spinal Cord, 1828, p. 419.