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Locomotor Ataxia.Symptoms.- For a long time prior to the manifestations of these symptoms, the patient is afflicted with various indefinite ailments, which are usually referred to other causes than the disease in question. Among these is neuralgia of the stomach. This occurs in paroxysms, at intervals of a few weeks or months, for years. It may be, before the impairment of motion becomes manifest, these attacks consist of excruciating pain, felt chiefly in the region of the stomach and often extending into the abdomen. They may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Unless there be other symptoms which point to locomotor ataxia as the cause of the difficulty, these attacks are usually supposed to be due to the passage of gall-stones, or to some other local difficulty ; their true nature is not suspected. It may be several years before other symptoms are manifested which direct the physician's suspicions to the nervous system as the source of the pain. Another symptom which may exist for some time before the true nature of the disease is recognized, is impairment of vision. The sight may fail to a marked degree, or even be lost entirely, before the other manifestations of the disease render the diagnosis possible. In addition to these symptoms, wandering pains in different parts of the body, which are supposed to be neuralgic or rheumatic in character. In men, too, an early symptom is sometimes loss of the sexual appetite, accompanied by an impairment of sexual power. After these symptoms have existed for a certain time, perhaps years, symptoms occur which direct attention to the true nature of the disease. The patient notices that he is not so steady upon his feet as formerly. He does not walk with the same confidence in the dark, and if he closes his eyes he staggers and would fall, if not prevented by others. He is especially apt to have his attention called to this by observing that he does not stand firmly in performing his morning ablutions, during which the eyes are closed. Soon after this it will be noticed by his friends that the patient's gait is peculiar ; he raises his feet from the ground more than is natural, and brings them down so that the heel strikes the floor with unusual force. The movements of the legs are apt to be jerky and uncertain ; they are thrown forward, apparently without any definite idea as to their destination. The body sways from side to side, and the arms are thrown out to maintain the equilibrium, like those of a person who is walking a tight rope. In many cases the patient is unable to rise from the chair without falling to the floor ; but if placed upon his feet by others, he is able to walk. In advanced cases the patient loses altogether the ability to walk. Notwithstanding the difficulty experienced in maintaining the body, there is no loss of power in the limbs; the patient who can not walk without aid of a cane to steady himself, can nevertheless exert the usual force with the legs. This may readily be shown by attempting to bend the patient's leg, requesting him at the same time to resist the effort. It will be found that the strength of the limb is by no means impaired. The patient's explanation of his difficulty in walking is usually that he " cannot feel the floor " with his feet; he is compelled to keep his eyes fixed upon the ground, in order to walk at all, since he is otherwise incapable of placing the feet as they should be. So soon as he looks away from the ground, his gait becomes unsteady. Sooner or later the arms also become similarly affected. There is no loss of muscular power ; the patient's grip may remain as firm as ever, but he is unable to unbutton his vest, for example, unless he keeps his eyes fixed upon the spot. Another characteristic feature is the fact, that when his eyes are closed the patient cannot place his finger accurately on the end of his nose ; in the effort to do so the hand wanders about the face, or is placed at some other part than on the object sought. In the later stages of the disease the patient may be unable to feed himself, because he cannot control his hands sufficiently. After a time the speech becomes impaired, since the muscles engaged in articulation, like those of the limbs, are no longer under control of the will. In a considerable number of cases the sensibility of the skin is impaired ; pins may be stuck into the patient's flesh without causing him any particular annoyance. Sometimes the patients suffer serious injury merely from their inability to recognize painful sensations. After a time the patient loses to a certain extent control over the bladder and rectum, so that the contents of these organs are evacuated without the exercise of his will. Cause.-The disease appears to be the result of over-exertion ; it occurs especially often in those who are compelled to stand many hours a day at their work. It is supposed to be brought on also by sexual excesses, though we have no foundation for such a belief in actual observations. In the last few years many facts have been brought forward which seem to indicate that this disease is especially frequent in those individuals who have previously suffered from syphilis. Certain it is, that locomotor ataxia occurs far more frequently among males than among females, and that it is pre-eminently a disease of adult life. Treatment,-There are as yet no well authenticated instances in which recovery has occurred from this disease ; the cases that are reported to have recovered seem somewhat doubtful examples of locomotor ataxia. The best results-that is, the postponement of the advanced stage of the disease-appear to have been secured first by rest; and, second, by the iodide of potassium. The patient should keep the recumbent posture as much as possible, and avoid all violent or long-continued bodily exercise. He should take also the following prescription : Iodide of potassium, - Five drachms. Tincture of ergot, - One ounce. Syrup of sarsaparilla, - Three ounces. Mix ; take a teaspoonful four times a day. In addition to these measures, it may be necessary to employ agents which shall relieve the neuralgic pains in different parts of the body. For this purpose, it is almost always necessary to use opium ; for since the difficulty is situated in the spinal cord, and not in the skin or muscles, liniments and plasters are of no avail. The disease is always of long duration, and rarely terminates fatally in less than three or four years ; yet a fatal result must always be expected. But first, if you want to come back to this web site again, just add it to your bookmarks or favorites now! Then you'll find it easy! 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