Nervous and Mental Diseases (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ORGANIC NERVOUS DISEASES THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID AND MENINGES The Colloid Reactions in the Spinal Fluid. This is the subject of a comprehensive review by V. Kafka.3 The Colloidal Gold Reaction.?The author urges the importance of a uniform solution, which can be obtained only by the use of a gold chlorid with a uniform hydrogen-ion concentration. Each colloidal gold solution must be tested at least every other day for its sensitiveness to salt solution and its reaction with normal and paretic spinal fluid. A reaction in the first two or three dilutions with normal fluid points to too high salt concentration. Kafka emphasizes the path- ognomonic character of the paretic curve, provided the maximum reaction is obtained promptly in the first tube and maintained in several of the subsequent ones. The Mastic Reaction.?The advantages of the "nor- momastic" reaction as compared with the modification of Jacobsthal and Kafka is that, on account of the absence of the salt curve, the reaction is more intelligible to the inexperienced observer. The syphilitic reaction is particularly clear and definite; and, compared with the colloidal gold reaction, it is simpler and more certain, and not subject to so many external influences. The mastic reaction is particularly valuable in the control of treatment. The Berlin Blue Reaction of Bechhold and Kirch- berg.?This is very sensitive, so an entirely negative reaction has great importance. As only 0.02 c.c. is (3) Ztschr. f. d. ges. Neurol. u. Psychiat., Jan. 16, 1922. required, it useful when very little fluid is available. In other respects, however, the colloidal gold and mastic reactions are preferable. The Carcolid Reaction of Jacobsthal.?This is very simple, but as yet imperfect on account of the tendency to spontaneous p...