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THE NATIONAL FOOD-SUPPLY.
657 the suggestion of the late Professor Jolly; Korsakow’s own title for it was Berlin. "cerebropathia psychica toxaemica"-a cumbersome and not very informative term. It indicated, however, the toxic nature of the condition, which; as first described, was supposed to be characteristic of disturbance of the central nervous system of alcoholic origin, linked, in- fact, to an actual and obvious peripheral neuritis. Hence it has been regarded by some as the expression, clinically, name on
of
Annotations. "Ne
quid nimis."
THE NATIONAL FOOD-SUPPLY.
ACCORDING to the report of the Food Committee of the Royal Society, the consumption of bread in pre-war times by the population of the United of a " central neuritis," and this, pathologically Kingdom was 54 lb. per head per week. The speaking, is probably not incorrect. Many cases Devonport allowance of 4 lb. represents a reduction have since been reported of Korsakow’s syndrome of nearly 25 per cent. upon our previous habit. from alcohol, and, indeed, apart from any The reduction of 1-llb. of bread per head per apart evidence of polyneuritis. Oppenheim in one week asked for by Lord Devonport should make no find no other cause for the symptoms could case excessive demand upon the national self -control. i a continued use of pyramidon. Further, in We must, however, remember that physiology than not a few cases of alcoholism the mental picture teaches that a further reduction in the national is not comparable in any way to that of bread consumption will be dangerous, and the Korsakow’s " polyneuritic psychosis." Dr. Carlill strain Government must every nerve to ensure mentions its occurrence in diabetes, fever, typhoid that the bread-supply, including all cereals, and malaria; almost any toxic arsenical poisoning, is kept up to three-fourths of its pre-war value. in the The voluntary ration of bread and meat officially or toxi-infective state may be supposed, at unknown of certain factors, present recommended to the nation by the Ministry of Food presence on. As the type of psychosis is, as a Control has now stood the test of ten weeks’ trial, to bring it definite and clear-cut, its appearand the possibilities of the Devonport figures are rule, peculiarly ance in the course of widely differing toxaemias is generally recognised. If these figures-4 lb. bread one of the most interesting features of the conand 2-li lb. of meat per head per week-are taken to of dementia paralytica dition. The represent distribution figures for the whole mixed is not more megalomania the amnesia, paramnesia, than precise population of men, women, and children, workers and confabulation of Korsakow’s symptom-complex. and non-workers counting alike as heads of the In the of the clinical picture is the population, no apprehension need be felt as to keeping patient’sforeground Unmerkfiihigkeit-his incapacity for retainup the man-power of the nation, but to limit the recent impressions. His retention of memories ing worker to the 4 lb. bread ration must imperil his of recent events is incredibly fleeting : in a minute value. The, German experience proves that some or less, sometimes, they have vanished. Arising in time may elapse before this happens, but the risk a sense from this, and no less characteristic, is the is one that should be avoided. Bread, by which all confabulation or romancing, and he is cereals as food is implied, is the worker’s food patient’s often curiously euphoric or good-humoured in which nothing can replace. The economy of bread his fanciful tales. Hence, also, his is necessary by worker and non-worker alike in so relating illusions of recogillusions of and memory far as our customary waste of bread must cease. He will believe nition-so-called paramnesia. It is imperative on all the sedentary classes in that he has been out for a walk when he this country to get as far below the bread ration of has never left his bed, and will proceed to the Ministry of Food Control as possible, for in this describe with charming verisimilitude whom he way the expiration of time at which the worker can met and what he saw during his constitutional. return to the full bread ration will be assisted. The It is obvious, further, that another feature of his consumption of other cereals than wheat by those mental state is suggestibility; not only does he who can dispense with them is no true national invent himself, but he believes the most improbable economy. It should be, and probably is, the intention stories foisted on him by the observer. His judgof the Government to make some statement on this ment is badly at fault and his critical faculty in vitally important matter to the public as soon as abeyance. Disorientation and confusion of recent an accurate forecast can be arrived at as to and remote events, and absurd attempts to fill The the amount of cereals we have in hand. and hiatuses, are well illustrated in memory country would also like to learn the views of the case gaps recorded by Dr. Carlill. It has already the Royal Society, expressed through their Food been observed that polyneuritis is a frequent Committee, for an authoritative statement would but not an integral part of the syndrome. be very useful. Lord Devonport’s statement in the absent Achillis-jerks may well repreHouse of Lords on Wednesday is satisfactory as Persistently sent an old neuritis; were they the expresindicating that the term of privation which should I, sion of a recent neuritis probably other symnow begin will not last until the period of danger ’, ptoms would be present with them, but these for our manhood efficiency. Dr. Carlill on repeated examination has failed to discover. Hence, the case is of interest also in KORSAKOW’S SYNDROME. suggesting either that the mental state has outIN another column we publish a communication lasted the neuritis or that it has occurred by Dr. Hildred Carlill, attached as neurologist to separately. When the clinician is faced with a the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar, on a case of well-defined and circumscribed mental syndrome Korsakow’s psychosis in association with malaria, in the course of an essentially diffuse and unwhich draws attention to a curious and not yet systematised disease such as a general toxaemia he fully understood condition. Mental symptoms is justified in asking whether he is dealing with a associated with peripheral neuritis were often specific action of the toxin on a certain part or recorded by clinical investigators, notably by Dr. parts of the cerebral cortex. The underlying pathoAllen Starr, of New York, before Korsakow, in 1887, logical basis of general paralysis is a diffuse and described a syndrome subsequently called by his irregularly massed meningo-encephalitis, yet the
I
of
Annotations. "Ne
quid nimis."
THE NATIONAL FOOD-SUPPLY.
ACCORDING to the report of the Food Committee of the Royal Society, the consumption of bread in pre-war times by the population of the United of a " central neuritis," and this, pathologically Kingdom was 54 lb. per head per week. The speaking, is probably not incorrect. Many cases Devonport allowance of 4 lb. represents a reduction have since been reported of Korsakow’s syndrome of nearly 25 per cent. upon our previous habit. from alcohol, and, indeed, apart from any The reduction of 1-llb. of bread per head per apart evidence of polyneuritis. Oppenheim in one week asked for by Lord Devonport should make no find no other cause for the symptoms could case excessive demand upon the national self -control. i a continued use of pyramidon. Further, in We must, however, remember that physiology than not a few cases of alcoholism the mental picture teaches that a further reduction in the national is not comparable in any way to that of bread consumption will be dangerous, and the Korsakow’s " polyneuritic psychosis." Dr. Carlill strain Government must every nerve to ensure mentions its occurrence in diabetes, fever, typhoid that the bread-supply, including all cereals, and malaria; almost any toxic arsenical poisoning, is kept up to three-fourths of its pre-war value. in the The voluntary ration of bread and meat officially or toxi-infective state may be supposed, at unknown of certain factors, present recommended to the nation by the Ministry of Food presence on. As the type of psychosis is, as a Control has now stood the test of ten weeks’ trial, to bring it definite and clear-cut, its appearand the possibilities of the Devonport figures are rule, peculiarly ance in the course of widely differing toxaemias is generally recognised. If these figures-4 lb. bread one of the most interesting features of the conand 2-li lb. of meat per head per week-are taken to of dementia paralytica dition. The represent distribution figures for the whole mixed is not more megalomania the amnesia, paramnesia, than precise population of men, women, and children, workers and confabulation of Korsakow’s symptom-complex. and non-workers counting alike as heads of the In the of the clinical picture is the population, no apprehension need be felt as to keeping patient’sforeground Unmerkfiihigkeit-his incapacity for retainup the man-power of the nation, but to limit the recent impressions. His retention of memories ing worker to the 4 lb. bread ration must imperil his of recent events is incredibly fleeting : in a minute value. The, German experience proves that some or less, sometimes, they have vanished. Arising in time may elapse before this happens, but the risk a sense from this, and no less characteristic, is the is one that should be avoided. Bread, by which all confabulation or romancing, and he is cereals as food is implied, is the worker’s food patient’s often curiously euphoric or good-humoured in which nothing can replace. The economy of bread his fanciful tales. Hence, also, his is necessary by worker and non-worker alike in so relating illusions of recogillusions of and memory far as our customary waste of bread must cease. He will believe nition-so-called paramnesia. It is imperative on all the sedentary classes in that he has been out for a walk when he this country to get as far below the bread ration of has never left his bed, and will proceed to the Ministry of Food Control as possible, for in this describe with charming verisimilitude whom he way the expiration of time at which the worker can met and what he saw during his constitutional. return to the full bread ration will be assisted. The It is obvious, further, that another feature of his consumption of other cereals than wheat by those mental state is suggestibility; not only does he who can dispense with them is no true national invent himself, but he believes the most improbable economy. It should be, and probably is, the intention stories foisted on him by the observer. His judgof the Government to make some statement on this ment is badly at fault and his critical faculty in vitally important matter to the public as soon as abeyance. Disorientation and confusion of recent an accurate forecast can be arrived at as to and remote events, and absurd attempts to fill The the amount of cereals we have in hand. and hiatuses, are well illustrated in memory country would also like to learn the views of the case gaps recorded by Dr. Carlill. It has already the Royal Society, expressed through their Food been observed that polyneuritis is a frequent Committee, for an authoritative statement would but not an integral part of the syndrome. be very useful. Lord Devonport’s statement in the absent Achillis-jerks may well repreHouse of Lords on Wednesday is satisfactory as Persistently sent an old neuritis; were they the expresindicating that the term of privation which should I, sion of a recent neuritis probably other symnow begin will not last until the period of danger ’, ptoms would be present with them, but these for our manhood efficiency. Dr. Carlill on repeated examination has failed to discover. Hence, the case is of interest also in KORSAKOW’S SYNDROME. suggesting either that the mental state has outIN another column we publish a communication lasted the neuritis or that it has occurred by Dr. Hildred Carlill, attached as neurologist to separately. When the clinician is faced with a the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar, on a case of well-defined and circumscribed mental syndrome Korsakow’s psychosis in association with malaria, in the course of an essentially diffuse and unwhich draws attention to a curious and not yet systematised disease such as a general toxaemia he fully understood condition. Mental symptoms is justified in asking whether he is dealing with a associated with peripheral neuritis were often specific action of the toxin on a certain part or recorded by clinical investigators, notably by Dr. parts of the cerebral cortex. The underlying pathoAllen Starr, of New York, before Korsakow, in 1887, logical basis of general paralysis is a diffuse and described a syndrome subsequently called by his irregularly massed meningo-encephalitis, yet the
I