444 EPITOME. - [April,

and realities of life. The somatic constitution showed that eight were pure pyknics,
and only one showed no pyknic traits at all. The course of the disease is very
protracted, six of the patients being over 8o years. Only three showed clinical
symptoms of cerebral arteriosclerosis.

The author believes that the pathogenic factor is represented by changes in
the brain, which could consist of arteriosclerosis or senile degeneration, and that
the personality constitutes the pathoplastic factor. But he presumes that the
cycloid temperament (personality) at the same time tends to prevent dementia
and volitional inertia, in contrast with the non-cycloid seniles, who do not use
their abilities, even if they are preserved to a certain extent. S. L. LAST.

Mental Aspects of Brain Tumours in Psychotic Patients. (Journ. Nerv. and Ment.
Dis., vol. lxxviii, pp.@ and 500, Oct—Nov., 1933.) Jameison, G. R.,
and Henry, G. IV.

From their experience with 26 psychotic patients who developed brain tumour,
the presence of which was established at autopsy, the authors draw various conclu
sions. They point out that there is no psychosis characteristic of brain tumour.
The clinical picture of brain tumour manifestations, superimposed upon a psychosis,
is characterized by changing contrasts and incongruities in the symptoms and signs,
and by evidence of organic disease of brain, which becomes increasingly obvious.

More than half of the patients are depressed, and a larger percentage are
distinctly apprehensive. At least one-fourth of the patients were suicidal. One
fourth had some insight into the fact that a serious complication had arisen in
their illness. G. W. T. H. FLEMING.

General Paretics Before and After Malarial Treatment : An Experimental Psycho
logical Investigation [Progressive Paraivtiker vor und nach der Malaria
behandlung : Eine experi@nentellpsychologische A rbeit] . (Zeitschr. f. d. ges.
Neurol. u. Psvchiat., vol. cxlvi, p. 66r, 1933.) lVeisfeld, M.

The author examined 29 paretics with various tests. He sets out to show
how the improvement achieved by malarial treatment can be demonstrated by
different tests. Such tests were carried out twice, first before, secondly after the
treatment. The following different psychical and psychomotor functions were
tested in this investigation : Memory, impressionability, the mental horizon (and
imaginative power), calculation, intellectual activity, the intelligence (in a more
restricted sense than usual), the power to deliver moral judgments, attention,
handwriting and manual speed. As the results are given in figures, the
improvement can be expressed in percentages.

Of all the cases, 45% only showed an improvement in the power to reach moral
judgments, 56% @flattention and 6, % in their manual speed, whereas 68—78%
of the patients had better results in the various other tests.

The author is not satisfied with the explanation given by other authors that
the intellectual improvements are due to an increase in activity only, but holds
that the various functions themselves have been changed for the better by the
malarial treatment. S. L. LAST.

Psychic Trauma and Hvperlh3roid Conditions [El trauma psIquico y los estados
hipertiroideos@.(La Semana Med., vol.xli,p.@ Feb.8, 1934.)RodrIguez,
A. D'A., and Lejtman, S.

Nine cases, uncomplicated by pathological antecedents or concurrent ailments,
have been fully studied. The emotional shock constantly reacts upon the thyroid
function, and is capable of disturbing it even in quite healthy subjects. The cases
present a clinical picture which is nearly always incomplete; the diagnosis is at
times difficult, but not impossible. The history of psychic trauma with the
immediate commencement of the symptoms should put us on the track of the