In my 38 years have had only three cases of acute poliomyelitis, ages four to eight; there were no signs of megalomania in later years.
DR. HUTCHINSON: I am much interested whenever Aconite is recognized as suitable many times in chronic and subacute cases. Of course we were taught sometimes that “the doctor could hardly arrive early enough to prescribe Aconite, as its indications would have left long before.” Well, that bogey is off!.
I am terribly amused by Dr. Macfarlan. At one time he insists that Belladonna is always easy to prescribe, and now he implies by good authority that Aconite curses everything anyway! Pretty sick, Doctor!.
And then Dr. Stevens makes a Christian Science comparison! Well, for just that I am reminded of a one-time “reader” of many years fame who asked me if I was in medicine to make money or to help of the afflicted. Incidentally she remarked that Mary Baker found all by her own self that if sugar cured, cure was possible without sugar! But Dr. Stevens does know know better, as her work testifies.
And Dr. Brown, who so kindly asks me for successes, I want to send another paper soon entitled A Blunder, and that will give him a chance to free his mind.–And right here, have we all understood that each member is permitted at least four years a year? That number would permit a circulation of a paper a week. And wouldnt that be really good?
What Doctor Pulford say and promise interests me particularly, and I await the new book with much gratification. Yes, as Dr. DT says that “power to react” is to be discerned as accurately as possible by the physician. That ability is one of the things that secures to him his justification. Remedy selection demands many phases of analysis as to utility.
Dr. Leonards report is most interesting. No one say what might or might not have occurred with that tragic case other than what did occur. There are times and subjects when life here must end despite all earthly wisdom. And cure has often fled.
Dr. Turner brings out what I love to see. When we consider the treadmill of drugs and hospitals with cases that never get well, however they may be said to “recover,” it gives us many thrills of actual pan to contemplate them. The machinery of dominating treatment of the sick the world over has so little reference to their cure, but only to an elaborate extension of all phases of their misery, however suppressed (?) for the moment by anodynes–this diabolical machinery invented by blind medicine is hideous.
As Dr. Hayes suggests, it would have been interesting to know to what condition this would have progressed had it continued. It was a state that would have provided endless complications had it, or instance, received the “modern” care of pneumonia.
Dr. Sloan prefigures this by his remark!.
Dr. Pompes report reminds of the advantages of following up “cured” cases.
To Dr. Sugden we are indebted for an accurate picture of megalomanian disorder following poliomyelitis. And this picture is so perfectly illustrative of what I have repeatedly observed that it will suffice for what I wanted to say concerning four cases that I have known, two of which, after being considered cured of all but the effects of the malady, had presented much buoyant ideas of self power in all things that nothing could eclipse a mania for the ideas, their pursuit, and the accomplishment of extravagance in what otherwise might have had some measure of practicality. These were adult patients whose type of judgment was mature.
