the hands. The trembling generally ceases
during sleep. The muscles become rigid and shortened; the head is bent and
the body is bent forward; the arms are flexed (bent) and the thumbs are
turned into the palms and grasped by the fingers; the legs are bent,
movement soon becomes impaired and the extremities show some stiffness in
motion. There is great weakness of the muscles and it is most marked,
where the trembling is most developed. There is no expression on the face,
and the person has a slow and measured speech. The walk is very peculiar,
and in attempting to walk the steps are short and hurried. The steps
gradually become faster and faster, while the body is bent forward and the
patient must keep on going faster to keep from falling. It is difficult to
go around in a short circle. The patient cannot change his position in bed
easily. The mind is rarely affected.

Recovery.--It is an incurable disease. It may run on for twenty years or
more. There may be times of improvement, but the tendency is to grow,
gradually worse.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Shaking Palsy.--This is simply to make the
patient as comfortable as possible. Regulate the diet. The patient should
not worry or have much exercise. Frequent warm baths are sometimes
beneficial with gentle massage of the muscles.

APHASIA.--A partial or total inability to express thoughts in words or to
interpret perceptions.

Varieties.--Motor and sensory aphasia.

Causes.--Softening of the brain, tumors of the brain, lesions in syphilis
especially, hemorrhage in the brain, blows on the head, and inflammation
of the brain and its covering.

Symptoms of Motor Aphasia.--The patient cannot make the muscles of the
larynx, tongue, palate and lips perform their functions and produce
speech. The patient knows what he wishes to say, but cannot pronounce it.
This may be complete or partial. Complete, when the patient can only utter
separate sounds. Partial, when the words are only slightly mispronounced
and when some certain words cannot be pronounced at all. In some cases,
nouns only or verbs cannot be pronounced. Agraphia, means inability to
write down the thoughts. Sensory aphasia: word deafness. This is an
inability to interpret spoken language. The sound of the word is not
recognized and cannot be recalled; but sounds such as that of an engine
whistle, or an alarm clock, are heard and recognized. Word-blindness: the
person cannot interpret written language. Phara