[First case]

In 1897, I had the occasion to examine a man aged 40, employed, who complained of the following symptoms:

For three weeks, he had trembling in his whole body, and he could not remain standing. In the standing position he was dizzy, weak and his legs shook, and he thought that he would fall over. He could walk well.

Seated, he rose up and down as though he were astride a horse.

Fifteen days ago he suddenly developed pins and needles in his fingers, and at the same time his mouth was twisted, but that was of short duration. He needed to urinate frequently, which disturbed his sleep. If he held back from urinating, the above symptoms worsened.

Compressions of cold water on the area of his heart calmed him. His pulse was sometimes irregular.

[Medical history]

When he was 30 years old, he had fainted on hearing that his mother was suffering from smallpox. As a student, he had a soft chancre from which he was cured. In 1891, he had influenza. In 1894, he lost his voice some time after having a cold and that then happened after each cold. He did not suffer from headaches and his memory was good.

His father died of tuberculosis and his mother died after a cardiovascular attack.

[Examination]

The patient was of average height, bone structure and build. The organs of the chest and abdomen were normal.