On tabes dorsalis : the Lumleian Lectures delivered before the Royal College of Physicians, London, March, 1906 / by David Ferrier.

  • Ferrier, David, 1843-1928.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On tabes dorsalis : the Lumleian Lectures delivered before the Royal College of Physicians, London, March, 1906 / by David Ferrier. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    to the half or two-thirds of a normal cord, affects the grey and white substance, or only one of these. The atrophy of the nerves in the leash of the cauda equina is often so pronounced that only the empty neurilemma-sheaths remain. Also the roots of higher inserted nerves participate in the atrophy ; and what is of particular interest, the posterior roots are sometimes alone affected, at other times along with the posterior columns of the cord, while the anterior roots appear normal. Romberg, however, did not clearly differentiate the basis of ataxy from that of muscular paresis or paralysis, and he describes as equally belonging to tabes leathery induration of the white substance and, more frequently, softening of the grey matter. There was no notable addition to the literature of tabes until Duchenne in 1858 published his researches on ataxie locomotrice. These were the starting-point of the extraordinary amount of attention that the subject has attracted since his time. Duchenne, purposely endeavouring to divest himself of all preconceived notions, and pursuing his investigations in the limbo of so-called o-eneral spinal paralysis and unclassified forms of chronic myelitis, discovered what to him was a new disease, which, from its most striking symptom, he termed ataxie locomotrice, adding the further term pro- gressive on account of its habitual tendency to advance rather than recede. He clearly differen- tiated the affection from muscular paralysis or paresis, and described with a masterly hand its