The Neurasthenic Element in Disease. (Glasgow Med. Journ., February, 1916)

The author's object in this paper is to emphasise afresh the fact that neurasthenic symptoms are in some cases the result of underlying disease, organic or other. Half a dozen cases are narrated in illustration of the thesis. The author summarises his conclusions under four heads: (1) Since the early symptoms of disease are often remote from the organ really affected, it is necessary always to make observations away from the point to which the patient calls atttention; (2) it is even yet more important to enter sympathetically into the patient's emotional attitude, in order to gain the knowledge that can only be acquired by tracing its multiform ramifications; (3) the acuteness of the neurasthenic symptoms is parallel to the gravity of the disease and on a different level from, for instance, the spes phthisica; (4) a very wide and broad view must be taken of the treatment.