Degenerative Disease of the Central Nervous System in New Guinea

DURING the past two years' service as medical officer of the Kainantu Sub-District, Eastern Highlands of the Australian Trust Territory of New Guinea, one of us (V.Z.) has had the opportunity of observing in the inhabitants of the mountain-dissected highlands some 30 to 50 miles southeast of Kainantu (Fig. 1) an unusually high incidence of a syndrome similar to paralysis agitans affecting children and adults, predominantly females, in natives of the recently controlled Forei linguistic and cultural group and in their neighbors of the Keiagana, Kanite, Kimi, Usurufa and Auiyana linguistic groups. During the past three months an intensive clinicopathological . . .