A disciplinary case: Epilepsy and other factors.
Case 63. (Consiglio, 1917.)
An Italian private in the artillery (father dead of general paresis) had been a victim of infantile convulsions and of convulsions with loss of consciousness up to 18 (convulsions with shouts and violence in the streets of Rome; had to be put in a straight-jacket at the municipal hospital).
He developed more convulsions during antisyphilitic treatment in the military hospital. He was a very poor soldier, of the rough and violent sort, and after eight months of service had to be assigned to a special disciplinary company, with which he remained for fifteen months. Here also he was punished frequently, and was given a period of four months’ imprisonment for refusal to obey the officers. Then for a period of several years he had no convulsions whatever.
During the war he was given to alcoholism, and one day in June, 1916, he struck an officer and ran away to arm himself. He was at this time observed by psychiatrists and declared sane. He was regarded as an emotional and alcoholic epileptic but not as neurotic or psychopathic. He was again placed in a special disciplinary corps.
Re the convulsions which this Italian developed during antisyphilitic treatment, it would be interesting to know whether intravenous injections were used. In case they were used, one might compare the case of this Italian with Bonhoeffer’s volunteer who developed epileptic convulsions after antityphoid inoculation.
Re the insubordination and violence of this Italian, compare remarks of Lépine noted under Cases 59 and 60. Re the “other factors,” compare remarks of Bonhoeffer noted under Case 57.