Diseased cravings and paralysed control : dipsomania, morphinomania, chloralism, cocainism / by T.S. Clouston.

  • Clouston, T. S. (Thomas Smith), 1840-1915.
Date:
[1890]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseased cravings and paralysed control : dipsomania, morphinomania, chloralism, cocainism / by T.S. Clouston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    weak, given give 1890.] DISEASED CRAVINGS AND PARALYSED CONTROL, ETC. 799 concentrated on himself and his bad feelings. He was treated with beef-tea and brandy, but the beef-tea caused diarrhma, and had to be stopped. He could retain milk, liquid custards, and brandy better Pthan anything else. His heart’s action got very and digitalis seemed to strengthen it. No morphia was ’ but chloral and a little bromide were used-I should now paraldehyde or sulphonal-to produce sleep For a week he was ‘‘horribly depressed ” and debilitated, and Ins life was certainly in danger He had a constant burning pain in stomach and bowels, most difficult to bear, and dreadfully lowering. He slept restlessly, and awoke with a “ feeling of horrors.” In a week the tempera- ture was normal, and in a fortnight he had got over all the worst symptoms. He had periodic attacks of irritability of stomach for a year. He has never got over his long morphia habit mentally— not that he has any craving for the drug—but all the intensity is out of his brain in thought, feeling, and volition. He is hypo- chondriacal, childishly irritable and suspicious, unsocial, con- sciously unfit to face the world, quite unable to do any sort of real work, and never has any feeling of organic satisfaction. He is asexual, and prefers still to walk out in the dusk along solitary roads rather than in public places. In fact, his biaiu is ine- trievably damaged in all its higher functions by its twenty-five years’ continuous intoxication by opium. Before commenting on this case I shall relate two others. C. D. had been a labouring man, and had regularly taken laudanum for twenty years before his admission at 49 to the Asylum as a certified patient. For many years his daily allowance had been 6 oz. of laudanum, that is, about 200 grains of opium. He is described as having been “ delusional ” for three years before admission. Ten years ago he had a “ fit ” with unconsciousness, and another similar “ fit ” three days before admission. After it he had been unconscious for an hour. His face had been drawn to left side, and both limbs had been convulsed. He had been “ ex- cited” three years ago after a fit. For three months back his wife had noticed his speech to be tremulous. His delusions before admission were grandiose. He had an excess of bien etre. He had “ gold watches ” under his bed, was to get a “ lot of money,” and had exaggerated notions of his bodily powers. On admission he was fairly contented, and said the house belonged to him. His memory was almost gone; he was mentally enfeebled generally. His articulation was tremulous and thick. He gave the impression of being a general paralytic, and one asked : “ Is this a case where continuous and excessive use of opium has produced general paralysis, as excessive drinking seems to do sometimes ? ” He had been in the Infirmary for a few days, and the worst part of the “ cure ” was over. His tongue was tremulous ; his temperature 980-6 at first, but it rose in a week to 102°. This elevated tem- perature in advanced morphinism has scarcely been noticed, but is