100 



EMANUEL BERGMAN 



al)le to shed any light on the nature of tremor. Some authors, such 

 as LA Roche and Flatau, do not expect any anatomical changes, but 

 believe that hereditary tremor is a purely functional affection 



cf 



^. 



> 



■Ç 



^ <^.M h^ 



c^^ i ßS.<5^^ 



9 



Fig. I. Genealogical table illustrating descent of hereditary tremor in a Swedish 



peasant family. Blacli symbols denote affected individuals. An asterisk marks that 



the existence of tremor has not vet been ascertained. 



The family of which an account will be given here is a peasant 

 family from Västmanland in Sweden. The oldest known member of 

 the family (P. P. N. * 1796 'Vu, t '7* 1853), who was a provincial 

 soldier in his native parish in his younger years, finally became insane 

 and committed suicide the night before he was to be taken to a 

 limatic asylum. »At the age of 56», so the parish register has it, »he 

 made away with himself in weakness of mind by drowning». Whether 

 he or his wife (K. L. * 1795 V2, t 'V2 1853) were afflicted with tremor, 

 is not known. Altogether they had 6 children, but only number 2 and 

 G of them reached the age of maturity. The others died as infants, 

 the oldest only reached the age of 2 V2 months. In the parish registers 

 it is stated that one child died of »a fit», the others of some »unknown 

 children's disease». 



The oldest of the surviving children was a daughter (M. V. C. 

 * 1823 ^'/e, t Vs 1909). She was in good health up to a few years 



