C. M. a man, forty years of age, was admitted into the hospital, December
26, 1795. It was stated, that he had been disordered two months previously
to his having been received as a patient. His friends were unacquainted
with any cause, which was likely to have induced the disease. During the
time he was in the house he seemed sulky, or rather stupid. He never asked
any questions, and if spoken to, either replied shortly, or turned away
without giving any answer. He scarcely appeared to take notice of any
thing which was going forward, and if told to do any little office
generally forgot what he was going about, before he had advanced half a
dozen steps. He remained in this state until the beginning of May, 1796,
when his legs became oedematous, and his abdomen swollen. He grew very
feeble and helpless, and died rather suddenly, May 19th. He was opened
about forty-eight hours after death. The pericranium and dura mater
adhered firmly to the scull; in many places there was an opake whiteness
of the tunica arachnoidea. About four ounces of water were found in the
ventricles. The plexus choroides were uncommonly pale. The medullary
substance afforded hardly any bloody points when cut into. The consistence
of the brain I cannot describe better than by saying, it was doughy.