THE NONSPECIFICITY OF THE HISTOLOGIC LESIONS OF DEMENTIA PARALYTICA

Abstract

There is a remarkable contrast between the amount of investigation that has been done on comparative anatomy and histology and that on comparative histopathology of the central nervous system. A great body of knowledge is available on the structure and course of fiber tracts in the different animal species. But only fragmentary data are available concerning the finer nature of pathologic processes in the central nervous system of animals, even though such knowledge is of the greatest importance for neuropathologic problems in man. Those who are versed in histopathologic technic and in observation of human material have frequently not been inclined to systematic experimental investigations. The occurrence in animals of spontaneous diseases that are difficult to diagnose intra vitam has had an equally dampening effect on investigative initiative. On the other hand, those who have experimented a great deal with the central nervous system in animals have often lacked sufficient