Reviews and Notices of Books

Abstract

Les Enciphalites Psychosiques. By Dr. L. Marchand and Dr. A. Courtois. With a Preface by Dr. E. Toulouse, and 31 microphotographic illustrations. Paris: Librairie E. Le Frangois. 1935. Pp. 144. Price 25 fr. BY the term 'psychotic encephalitis' is meant an inflammation of the brain that reveals itself solely by mental symptoms. These generally take the form of acute confusion, delirium, hallucinosis, and other features of a toxic psychosis; neurological symptoms are lacking. Pathologically, the lesions are partly degenerative, partly inflammatory; they are in no way specific, yet they are quite definite. There is no perivascular demyelination, and little glial reaction. The mesoderm, however, reacts, while the parenchyma is damaged. On the clinical side the authors draw particular attention to the blood urea, which in acute cases always rises and is regarded by them as constant and characteristic-so much so that they use the term ' encephalite psychosique aigue azotemique.' Subacute and chronic cases are also known; their syndromes can be schizoid, paranoid, manic-depressive, hebephrenocatatonic, etc. The authors rely on pathological anatomy to show the foundation of the symptoms, but since they admit causation is multiple it is evident that any correlation of syndromes and lesions is impossible; the various mental symptoms they describe as occurring in subacute and chronic cases can also develop in cases where the lesions specified are not found. They have done well, however, in directing attention to the fact that some forms of encephalitis are accompanied by symptoms of the psychical series alone. The explanation of this interesting peculiarity is still obscure.