Vol XIX, No 4 (1912)

The literature on music, which develops its theoretical and aesthetic side, is known to be very extensive, while, of course, the question of its influence on the psyche is also interpreted, but from a predominantly theoretical side; the experimental study of this influence, even understanding the word experimental in a broad sense, is still in the initial stage and the author in the literature available to him, among the small number of experimental works related to this, did not find a single one that would be devoted to the experimental development of the issue that constitutes the subject of this study.

With the revival of psychotherapy, interest in neuroses is increasing more and more. New theories are being created, the old are hesitating, yielding to a new trend. Each, more or less pronounced case of neurosis is examined from a new angle of vision, confirming or refuting the still incomplete established data.

Is mercury injected into the body excreted into the spinal fluid? This question occupied us with practical and theoretical points of view. On the practical side, we were interested in knowing how much we can count on the circulation of mercury in the spinal fluid and, therefore, on its direct action on the nervous tissue due to the communication of the perivascular (and pericellular) spaces with the sub-arachnoid. If mercury is released into the spinal fluid, it is necessary to search for the therapeutic effect (syphilis of the nervous system) of the drug that quickly and in large quantities passes into the spinal fluid. On the theoretical side, the issue of mercury release is of interest for solving the broader issue of the nature of spinal fluid in general. As is known, there is currently no agreement on this account. Is the spinal fluid transudate, the secretion of the vascular plexus epithelium or the sui generis lymph of the brain itself. In favor of the second¹ views are inclined by Schultze, Imamura, Raubitschek, Molt, and others in favor of the last but Spina² (also Lewandovsky and Blumenthal³. The first view is generally accepted. We thought that the saturation of blood with mercury, which happens with prolonged introduction of it into the body, should lead to the appearance of at least traces of it in the spinal fluid, if the latter is transudate. If the last secret, then apriori nothing can be predicted; extraction depends on the chemical and physical properties of the epithelium itself; the epithelium can secerne one substance and not pass another. The number of substances found so far in the spinal fluid when injected into the body is very limited. When the brain (and membranes) was normal, the substances introduced by the authors did not completely enter the spinal fluid. Widal, Monod⁴, Sicard was found in tuberculous meningitis iod when giving it during 2-3 days for 3-5 grams only in 3 cases. Guinon and Simon found only 1/2 cases of tuberculous meningitis; no iodine was found in cases of cerebrospinal meningitis. With uremia, Costaigne found iod and methylene blue. Sicard and Widal — didn’t find it. Gilbert and Castaigne found bile pigment in jaundice. Sicard denies. Archard Loeper⁵ did not find the lithium when it was injected into the blood. Regarding the fate of mercury introduced into the organism, there are no indications in the literature⁶.

In March 1911, a patient was admitted to our clinic, taken with the diagnosis of Paralysis agitans, all the symptoms of which were evident. But a more detailed study and further observation showed with certainty that we do not really have a pure case of Paralysis agitans, since, in addition to the symptoms inherent in Paralysis agitans, such as: general rigidity of the muscles of active, immobility of the trunk, characteristic slowness of maneuver , diminishing with volitional movements, there was still a whole series of symptoms that did not fit into the picture of tremor paralysis.

The object of the author's research was, on the one hand, the brains of various vertebrates, and, on the other hand, pathological material from the psychiatric hospital "All the Sorrows". The author formulates the results of his research in the following provisions:

Some peculiar phenomena of internal secretion disorder were examined by the author in two of his previous works: Aetiologische und therapeutische Erfahrungen über Vitiligo ("Dyshumorale" Genese und Organotherapie der Flecken). Prag. med. Wochenschr XXXVI, no. 8, 1911 and Sensibilitätsänderung während unwillkürlicher athetoseähnlicher Bewegungen, wahrscheinlich "Spontanbewegungen". Prag. med. Wochensehr. XXXIV, Oktober 1909.

The phenomena described by the author are in the nature of mental, nervous and circulatory disorders.

From the large Report, one begs to compare the figures: 1) 320 patients in 20 departments, 8 doctors, and the staff of servants — 107 people, the expenditure budget — 265,000 rubles per year.

Chaired by prof. V.P. Osipov under the secretary of I.D.Baklushinsky. Present: V.P. Pervushin, V.S.Skuridin, Sorokovikov, Voroshilov, Tsipkin, Chalusov, Donskov, G.A.Klyachkin, E.N. Arkhangelskaya, Kazanskiy and others.