ON BARTHOLD W AND PRO’S 66 LIBEKA.L USE ” 0 F PRIZE ESSAYS; 0 K PRIZE-ESSAYING MADE EASY, AND TAUGHT IN A SINGLE LESSON. BT GEO. C. BLACKMAN, M.D., Prof., etc. “When energizing objects men pursue, Then Lord knows what is writ by Lord knows who.” Byron's Dr. Plagiary. CINCINNATI, 0., WRIGHTSON & CO., PRINTERS 167 WALNUT STREET, 1868. LITERARY LARCENY; 0 R PRIZE ESSAYING MADE EASY, AND TAUGHT IN A SINGLE LESSON. As preliminary to the main object of this paper, we will briefly refer to a literary transaction of “ extraordinary peculi- arity,” which occurred in the great metropolis of France, and then proceed to show how the said transaction has even been eclipsed by a writer of the Queen City. In 1852, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, awarded the Jacksonian Prize to Mr.* Henry, (now Sir Henry) Thompson, and in 1854 this Prize Essay was published in London. In 1856, a writer by the name of Jose Pro, presented an Essay on the same subject to the Societe de Chirurgie of Paris, which Society awarded to M. Pro the highest honors. Of twenty-six quarto pages of his Essay, twenty-three proved to be a literal translation of Sir Henry Thompson’s Prize Essay. A reviewer in the London Lancet, June sth, 1858, Eng. ed. p. 555, thus prefaces extracts from the two works, and placed in opposite columns: “But we must not omit to do justice to M. Pro’s undoubted merits as a translator. The following is a fair specimen of his ability as illustrated at any part of the twenty-three pages aforesaid, and we offer it as a specimen of the rest.” We are compelled to omit these extracts, which are sufficient to satisfy the reader of the fidelity of the translation. But we must make room for the comments of the reviewer on M, Pro’s Memoire: “ Its peculiarity is of so striking a kind, that we should be wanting in justice to the whole republic of letters, were we to omit to point it out. For it is a matter which concerns every author personally, be he medical or not, that his own proper labors, the hard-earned acquisitions of his own industry and 4 intellect, should not be pilfered from him, and particularly that those acquisitions should not, in some more or less distant parts of the world, be represented by another as his own creation and property. We have now only to add that M. Pro, in per- petrating one of the most shameless and extensive plagiarisms which has been brought to light for many years, has paid a great compliment to their real author, and that the Societe de Chirurgie, by conferring their highest distinctions upon the sup- posed original observer, have quite unwittingly confirmed it.” If the reviewer justly pronounced the above plagiarism one of the most ‘‘shameless” that had been brought to light for 0 C 5 many years, what language can be found appropriate to charac- terize the conduct of a Cincinnati Professor, who artfully at- tempts to disarm the reader of all suspicion, by acknowledging that in the preparation of his monograph he has made a “ lib- eral,” and then proceeds to make a literal use of a celebrated French Prize Essay on the same subject. And now for the history of this “ peculiar” literary performance, which like the Essay of M. Pro, furnishes abundant evidence, if not of hon- estyat least of his merits as a translator. During the latter part of the year 1862, the Academy of Medicine in Paris, proposed as the subject of a Prize Essay— The History of the Ataxia Locomotor Progressive. Paul Topi- nard, ancient interne of the hospitals, and member of the Societe Medicate d’ Observation, was at that very time engaged in the investigation of this subject, and at once entered the list of competitors. After collecting and analyzing 252 cases, scattered in various publications, he added to them some 43 others, all but two of which had occurred under his own ob- servation, and in 4of which an autopsy had been made. This Essay displayed such extensive research and ability, that the Academy awarded to Paul Topinard the Prize, and in 1864 the work was published in Paris. During the winter of 1865-6, the writer received a copy of this Prize Essay, which he handed over to Prof. Roberts Bartholow, who professed a desire to study the subject. In the April number of the Cincinnati Journal of Medicine, 1866, appeared an article entitled, “ The Progressive Locomotor 5 Ataxia,” (Ataxia Locomotrice Progressive), by Roberts Bar- tholow, M. D. In a note printed at tbe bottom of the page, he states that he has made “ liberal use ”of Paul Topinard’s Prize Essay, and after giving us the details of his remarkable case, the patient Kelch—he thus proceeds to illustrate his idea of the signification of the term “ liberal use.” It is due to the Professor to state that in the six pages which follow the report of Ketch’s case, and which constitute the first of his series of papers on the subject, six original lines referring to Kelch, do occur, the rest being a literal translation, while the name of Paul Topinard does not once appear in the text. We might select any portion of the article in the April number of the Journal, but must be restricted to a few extracts, and will com- mence with Historique, p. 135, of Paul Topinard’s Prize Essay, and History, p, 194, of Dr. Bartholow’s article in the April number of the Cincinnati Journal of Medicine. When the page is not specified, the reader has only to follow the order of description adopted by Topinard, to find the corresponding translation by Bartholow. BARTHOLOW. TOPINARD. History. The name, ataxie locomo- trice progressive, was given this mal- ady by Duchenne, of Boulogne, who described it with more particularity than atiy of his predecessors, but he is not entitled to the merit of dis- covery. It had been recognized in England in 1847, and was well de- scribed in Germany in 1834, but un- der other names, as paraplegia with disordered co-ordination of move- ment, tabes dorsales, gray degenera- tion of the posterior columns of the spinal cord, progressive spinal par- alysis, etc. L’historie de la maladie, designee par M. Duchenne (de Boulogne) sous la denominaiion d’ataxie locoinotrice progressive reraonte au de-la de Te- poque ou parut son memoire. Elle avail ete signalde en Angleterre, vers I’annee 1847, etassez bien decrite en Allemagne, en 1834. Mais c’est sous d’autres noms qu’il faut l’y chercher, sons ceux de paraplegic portant sur la co ordination du mouvement, de tabes dorsdales ou dorsalis, de degene- rescence grise des cordons posterieurs de la moelle, de paralysie spinale progressive, etc. La plus ancienne de ces expres- sions le tabes dorsalis, remonte a Hip- pocrate, qui I’appliquait aux acci- dents produits par Tabus des plai- sirs veneriens. The most ancient of these terms, tabis dorsales, originated with Hippo- crates, who applied it to the acci- dents produced by the abuses of venery. Sauvages, a long time after, de- scribed a group,of symptoms pro- Sauvages, long-temps apres, ecar- tant avec raisou de ce groupe la 6 duced by the same cause, which closely correspond to the disease not known as progressive locomotor ataxia. Lallemand also, under the title of the “ dorsal consumption,” described a set of symptoms of the same character. fievre hectique en resume les symp- toms, rachia'gie, douleurs dans les membres inf'erieurs, tremblement des mains, dysurie, spermatorhee et gouette sereine, ou serait dtisposg a croire qu'il avait en vue quelques cas de la maladie que nous etudions. The term tabes dorsales was, by the Germans,changed in its signification, and applied to a disease of the cord characterized by atrophy of this or- gan. The first autopsy, clearly es- tablishing this condition of the cord, was made so long ago as 1679. The disease was very clearly described in Hufeland’s Practice of Medicine, under the name tabes dorsales, in 1834. Steinthal, in 1844, was equally ex- plicit in his details concerning this disease, describing the difficulties of locomotion, the loss of power of co- ordinating muscular movements, the amaurotic ambly opia, etc. Rom- berg, in 1851, under the same name of tabes dorsales, and Wunderlich the following year, under the title of progressive spinal paralysis, particu- larize with great precision the essen- tial phenomena of this disorder. Lalleraand a decrit ces accidents sous les titre de consomption dorsale. Mais, au dela du Rhin, les tabes dorsalis, changeait de signification. La premiere autopsie connue dans cette voie est la suivante. La moelle titait tres-atrophiee. Bonetus. 1679. La premiere description nette s’en trouve dans la Medicine pratique de Hufeland, chapitre tabes dorsales, 1834, Steinthal, en 1844, est plus explicite sur quelques details. II enumere les symptomes suivants; I’affaiblis- sements des membres, la demarche chancelante. I’amiblyopie amauro- tique, etc. Romberg, en 1851, sous ce m6me nom de tabes dorsales, et Wunderlich, Vannee suivante, sous celui de para- lysie spinale progressive, esquissent avec une grande precision les princi- paux traits de la maladie. The morbid anatomy of progress- ive locomotor ataxia had been studi- ed with the naked eye only, prior to 1857, in which year Ludwig Turck published a memoir at Vienna, in which he described the microscopic appearances of the degenerated pos- terior columns of the spinal cord. Virchow and Raciborski confirmed these observations which had estab- lished that the alteration proper to tabes, consisted in an atrophy of the nervous elements with hypertrophy of the intermediate connective tis- sue, Whilst these observations were accumulating in Germany as to the nature of tabes dorsales, attention was being called in England to de- fects of co-ordination, dependent on Jusque-la les autopsies n’avaient Ste faites qu’a I’oeil nu. Ludwick Turck, le premier, fit intervenir le microscope. Dans un memoire, pub- lic a Vienne en 1857, il aurait obser- ve onze Ms la degcncrescence gris- fitre et gelatiniforme de toute la lon- geur des cordons posterieurs. Vir- chow et Raciborski confirmhrent ces rhsultats. L’alteralion propre au tabes consists pour eux en une atro- phie des elements nerveux, avec hy- pertrophic de la substance conjonc- tive. D’autre part, en Angleterre, I’attention s’etait portee sur les des- ordres de co-ordination, dependant d’une affection de la moelle. Todd, in 1847, guide par less idees theo- riques qu’il setait faites sur les 7 an affection of the cord. Todd, es- pecially, influenced by the theoreti- cal views which he entertained as to the functions of the posterior columns of the spinal cord, and having had two cases in which defects in the co- ordination of voluntary movements existed with integrity of the muscu- lar force, diagnosticated during life and confirmed by post mortem obser- vation, a lesion limited to the poste- rior columns. “Two sorts of para- lysis of movements,” says Todd, “are found in the inferior extremities ; one consists in feebleness or loss of voluntary movement; the other is distinguished by diminution or com- plete abolition of the power of co- ordination of movements.” He says nothing, however, of ocular troubles. fonctions des cordons posterieurs de la moelle, et ayant sous les yeux deux cas de defaut de co-ordination des mouvements volontaires avec in- tegrity de la force musculaire, il di- agnostique sur le vivant et reconnut it Vautopsie une lesion limitee aux cordons posterieures. “ Deux sortes de paralysie du mouvement, se recon- trent aux membres inferieurs, dit-il: I’une consiste dans I’affaiblessement ou la perte du mouvement volontaire, I’autre s’en distingue par la diminu- tion ou abolition complete du pour- voir de co-ordonner les mouve- ments.” Quant aux troubles ocu- laires, il n’en dit vien. En 18-16 et 1868, Gull publiait, dans Guy’s Hos- pital Reports, une longue serie d’ob- servations de maladies relative la moelle. Dans I’une, il y a trouble de co-ordination des mouvements et alteration des cordons posterieurs dans toule leur longueur. L’auteur s’y arrete. et, non influence par les travaux allemands qu’il ignorait, ou par ceux de M. Duchenne qui n’avaient pas encore vu le jour, il n’hesite pas tl en faire une myelite chronique. In 1856. and 1858, Gull published in Guy’s Hospital Reports a long se- ries of observations relative to di- seases of the cord. In one case he observed troubles in the co-ordina- tion of movements and alterations of the posterior columns of the cord. Gull, ignoring the labors of the Ger- mans in the same field, and the in- vestigations of Duchenne not yet hav- ing seen the light, did not hesitate to ascribe these phenomena to chronic myelitis. En France, les documents les plus recules que nous possedions sur la maladie qui nous occupe se trouvent dans les bulletins de la Societe ana- tomique et dans I’immortal ouvrage de M. Cruveilhier. Nous avons don- ne, page 113 et suivantes, I’analyse des observations de Hutin en 1828, de M. Cruveilhier en 1830, de M. Fredault en 1845, de Monod en 1847, de M. Lugs en 1856, et de M. Laborde en 1858. In France various observations were made and recorded in the pro- ceedings of the anatomical society and in the immortal work of M. Cru- veilhier. These observations extend from 1828, those of M. Hutin; 1830, those of M. Cruveilhier; 1845, those of M. Fredault; 1847, those of Mo- nod ; 1856, those of M. Lugs; to 1858, those of M. Laborde. It is subsequent to these observa- tions thatM. Duchenne announced in the Archives de Medicine of 1858, the existence of a new disease which he proposed to call - “ ataxic locomotrice C’est alors que M. Duchenne (de Boulogne) signal® dans les Archives de Medicine de 1858, I’existence d’une espece morbide nouvelle qu’il pro- posa d’appeler ataxie locomotrice progressive, et caracterisa en ces progressivedescribing it in these terms ; “ Progressive abolition of co- ordination of movements and appar- ent paralysis, contrasting with integ- rity of the muscular force. This able observer ignored the ideas of Todd, and the labors of Hufeland, Stein- thal, Romberg, and Ludwig Turck. His merit consists in this, that he comprehended the relation of the symptoms, their habitual succession, and insisted more than Romberg had done, upon the occular troubles. This was certainly the view of the merit of Duchenne, entertained by Trous- seau, when he baptized the new di- sease by the name of its presumed discoverer. termes : “Abolition progressive de la co-ordination des mouvemeuts, et paralysie apparente contrastant avec I'integrite de la force musculaire. Get habile observateur ignorait les idees deTodd et les travaux de Hufe- land, Steinthal, Romberg, et Ludwig Turck. Son raerite est aussi d’avoir embrasse I’edsemble des symptomes, leur succession habituelle, davoir insiste plus que Romberg, sur les troubles oculaires. C’est ainsi que le comprit certainemerat M. le pro- fesseur Trousseau, lorsqu’il baptisa la maladie nouvelle du nom de son auteur. Symptomatologie.— La duree de notre maladie variant de une a trente ann£es, il est utile d’y introduire quelques divisions, ne serait-ce que pour en faciliter I’exposition. Corn- melons par examiner ce qn’a de fondee la division proposes par M. Duchenne, et si nous I’adopterons. “ Lataxie locomotrice progressive se partage en trois periodes : Tune, ca- ractci, etc., etc. Symptomatologies.—The duration of this malady is from one to thirty years ; hence, it is useful to make some divisions to facilitate the de- scription. We adopt the division of M. Duchenne. “ The ataxie locomotrice progressive is devisible into three pe- riods, the first characterized by three symptoms, etc., etc. Pains.—These are in general the first symptoms to attract the attention of the patient. In one hundred and four observations made with refer- ence to the frequency of the pains and the period of their appearance rela- tive to their ataxic symptoms, they were present in forty-four before the locomotor ataxia; in twenty, after; in eighteen, present, but time not de- finitely fixed; in twenty-two, absent. These pains are observed in all di- seases of the cord, but are more frequent in progressive locomotor ataxia. Douleurs.—Ce sont, en general, les premiers accidents qui eveillent I’at- tention du patient. Sur 104 obser- vations, la frequence des douleurs et I’epoque de leur apparition relative- ment au debut symptome ataxie. 44 fois avant I’ataxie locomotrice; 20 fois apr£s Lataxie locomotrice; 18 fois presentes, sans designation suf- fisante du moment de leur appari- tion; 22 fois absentes. Ces douleurs s’observent dans toutes les maladies de la moelle, mais plus frequement dans Lataxie locomotrice progressive. A leur origine, elles eclatent va- gabondes et generalisees a toute la surface du corps ou sur une des ses moities laterales, ou bien se limitent a une region, une les pieds surtout. II arrive memo que d’abord generalisees, elles disparaissent dans At their origin these pains are fu- gutive, and distributed over the sur- face of the body or one of its lateral halves, or they are limited to one region, to one extremity, especially to the feet. If, after having been generally distributed, they disap- pear in the superior half of the body to concentrate in one limb, this part, in which a primitive or secondary localization of the pains has taken place is destined to be the first at- tacked by the ataxic disorders. la moitie superieure du corps pour se conceulver dans I’une ou I’autre janebe. Le membre vers lequel se- fait cette localisation primitive ou secondaire est celui qui est destine a £tre le premier atteint par les des- ordres ataixques. We have neither time nor space to copy the remaining portion of the article in the April number. But should any doubt the accuracy of our statement, that it is but a literal transla- tion, we beg them to compare the article, with the original French. At the close of the last page in the April number, we find the following: In the next number of the Journal, we {italics our own), will resume the consideration of this subject, commencing with the second period. And in the May number “we” thus “resume “We describe the phenomena of the second period in the order in which they present themselves. Nous decrirous les phenomenes de la deuxieme periode dans I’ordre ou ils succedent ordinairement. Numbness.—The ataxic allude, un- der this name., to an internal sensa- tion of heaviness, seated in part or whole of a member, as if it were asleep. The numbness is a phenome- non, connected with the general sen- sibility, but distinct from the sense of touch, of heat, of pain, and from the muscular sensibility. It is a perversion of the functions of the sensitive nerves, as is the pains or tingling. Some patients employ the words numbness and tingling as con- vertable terms. * * * * Engourdissemsnt. Sous cette de- nomination vague, les ataxiques de- signnent une sensation interieure de pesanteur, de somnolence siegeant dans la totalite ou une partee d’un membre. L’engourdissement est une phenomene lie a la sensibilite gene- rate mais distinct de la sensibilite au tact, a la douleur, a la tem- perature, et de la sensibilite mus- culaire. Ce serait une perver- sion des proprietes des nerfs sensi- tifs comme les douleurs fulgurantes et les fourmillements. Quelques malades substituent volontiers, dans leur langage, les mots fourmille- ment et engourdissement. (Here follow seven lines referring to Kelch, B.) Cutaneous Ancesthesia.—Anaesthesia is one of the habitual symptoms of the progressive locomotor ataxia. In 109 observations, this symptom com- plete or incomplete, was present in 76 cases, very lightly in 15, and not all in 18 cases. Ancesthesia Cutanee.—L’anaesthesia est un des symptomes habituels de la maladie qui nous occupe. Sur 109 observations ce phenomene s’est ainsi reproduit. Ansesthesie com- plete ou incomplete. 76 fois : tres legere, 16 : nulle 18, etc. etc. But we must refer those whose curiosity is not already satis- fied to the April and May numbers of the Journal. At the bottom of the first page in the last named number, may be found the following note, which was written “ under compul- sion,” and done by the Professor with a reluctance not exceeded by what Jack Falstaff himself would have felt under the cir- cumstances. Should the Professor deny this statement, we can refer to the well-known publisher, Mr. Robert Clarke, a note from whom drew out the following: “ It having come to my knowledge that some persons consider my reference insufficient to the work of Dr. Paul Topinard (J)e U Ataxie Locomotrice Progressive, s■