General Paralysis Occurring about the Period of Puberty

Extract

We are in the habit of regarding general paralysis as in the main a disease of the prime of life—of a time when the fresh vigour of youth has subsided, but before the first touch of decay has laid its hand upon the organism; when the mental faculties are strained to the utmost in the pursuit of wealth or pleasure, or social distinction, or in the keen struggle for existence entailed upon so many of our race. We are not indeed unaccustomed to meet with cases of this disease occurring both before and after this epoch of life, but the association of general paralysis with the period of childhood and puberty has hitherto been a very unfamiliar idea. Nevertheless, scattered cases have from time to time been published which tend to show that the period of life which appears to offer most exemption from all the ordinary causes of the disease may still claim its victims, and that at, or about, the period of puberty cases may occur which, both clinically and pathologically, appear incapable of separation from the ordinary forms of the disease with which we are so familiar.