A Lecture on Polymyositis: Delivered at the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic

GENTLEMEN,-I desire to direct your attention to-day Tare disease, which is important because it is malady and, though uncommon, has close ,others which are more common and more familiar. is disease that has been termed "polymyositis." It in the simultaneous inflammation of many of some nerves-an inflammation that is symmetrical distribution. I am not sure that it has yet obtained in English descriptive medical literature or in the teaching on which you chiefly depend for your knowledge; but the case I have to show you is an extremely well-marked example of the affection in a severe degree, and fore serve to impress on you its most features. Let me first remind you of some facts relating neuritis, with which this affection is closely allied, indeed, forms part of it; the nerves suffer in association the muscles, although, it would seem, less widely. all, no doubt, acquainted with multiple neuritis," tively new to our nomenclature, but doubtless, parison, old in undiscerned familiarity. Its causes been always with us, and their effects cannot absent. The names we apply are not entirely We call it"polyneuritis," "multiple neuritis," "peripheial neuritis." These terms, however, also cable to other affections. We meet with many nerves of quite different character