The Diagnosis of General Paralysis of the Insane as a Clinical and Pathological Entity

Extract

At the outset of this communication let it be said that the intention is not to make any new or original contribution to the subject, but to re-state some old facts which, it seems to me, are in danger of being forgotten by the older ones amongst us, and have not been sufficently impressed upon those who have recently come to the study of general paralysis. My own experience leads me to hold suspect the way the diagnosis of this disease is arrived at to-day in many quarters, and consequently to question the validity of many published statistics. In the time at my disposal it is not possible to alter settled beliefs, but I hope to arouse doubts and to shake some confident and easy convictions. If the doubts be carried into the study of future cases my object will have been attained.