A further contribution to the subject of vasomotor ataxia / by Solomon Solis Cohen.

  • Solis-Cohen, Solomon, 1857-1948.
Date:
[1902?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A further contribution to the subject of vasomotor ataxia / by Solomon Solis Cohen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    19/24 (page 15)
    • VASOMOTOR ATAXIA. 15 phenomena. As definite exciting causes and definite toxico-patho- logic mechanisms are determined, definite nosologic groups may be separated and certain syndromes, like those of Grraves and of Raynaud, made into diagnostic entities. Over and above these, however—and for the present, this is the most practical issue of these observations—will always remain many vague and ill-defined condi- tions arising in response to any one of a number of different stimuli, among which temperature, weather, endogenous and ectogenous noxse, and emotion are most prominent. The symptoms may vary much in the same individual at different times; they may be mani- fested in the course of various acute and chronic diseases, confusing the diagnosis. With the clue afforded by the knowledge of vaso- motor ataxia, however, the symptoms become clear, and intelligent treatment can be instituted. Hysteria, neurasthenia, and epilepsy bear close, but as yet undetermined relations to the condition, which may be predominant or apparently insignificant in their semeiology. The symptoms of the menopause are essentially vasomotor ataxic in character, but are a transient phase in the devolution of the female. Essential vasomotor ataxia is usually congenital—often afiecting in different ways several members of one family ; but at times the dis- order seems to be acquired in sequence to disease or accident. Treat- ment must be largely dietetic, hygienic and psychic; with such medication, and such measures of physiologic therapy, as may be appropriate in the individual case. DISCUSSION. Dr. Prince: I think the phenomena described by Dr. Cohen are interest- ing and in a way important ones, as they are found very frequently making up the symptom-complex of a large number of diseases. They belong to a class of symptomatic phenomena which are perversions of physiologic pro- cesses—that is to say, the phenomena themselves are physiologic, but the processes have become either enormously exaggerated or excited by abnor- mal associations. Dr. Putnam some time ago gave the name to some of them of caricatures. If we look upon them in this light I think we can under- stand their pathology. What Dr. Cohen describes is practically what I once described under the name of association neurosis. Clinically such per- verted processes are of importance in that, after having become associated