1986 



DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 



self-restraint. Each gave a sharp cry and a " jump " — to use the colloquial 

 expression — and, since there was nothing to distract their attention from one 

 another, they fell to imitating each the other's gestures. For nearly half an 

 hour, so far as I could judge from what I learned later, these two men sat 

 opposite to one another, gesticulating wildly and aimlessly, using the most 

 filthy language, and rocking their bodies to and fro. They never took their 

 eyes off one another for sufficient time for the strange influence to be broken, 

 and at length, utterly worn out and exhausted, first Sat and then the 

 Trgngganu man fell over on the platform in fits, foaming horribly at the 

 mouth with thin, white flakes of foam. Men came running to me for help, 

 many having witnessed the end of this strange scene, and when I had doctored 

 Sat and his companion back to consciousness, I tried to ascertain from them 

 how they had come to fall victims to this seizure. They could tell me nothing, 

 however, for they only remembered that before their trouble came upon 

 them they had been chewing betel-nut. The matter was sifted out, none the 

 less, and the small boy who had been the cause of the trouble again made 

 the acquaintance of the piece of rattan, and, to judge by his cries, found the 

 interview an' unusually painful one.' 



From the above account it will be seen that a sudden action 

 will inhibit the higher centres and produce reflex movements in 

 imitation of those performed by the exciting cause. The loss 

 of memory of what has taken place and the peculiar movement of 

 the hand to the head indicates the abrogation of the higher powers. 



Varieties. — -There are two varieties of the complaint — the im- 

 pulsive and the mimetic. The former, produced by a sudden shock, 

 results in violent action or bad language, of which the patient may 

 be very ashamed. The mimetic is the form in which the sufferer, 

 no matter how unwilling, is compelled to imitate. 



Allied Complaints.^ — Latah must be closely related to those curious, 

 psychical phenomena seen at times among different races, the 

 afflicted people being variously known in Europe as ' the Jumpers,' 

 ' the Barkers,' and ' the Jerks,' and must also be allied to those 

 states of excitement into which people pass during times of religious 

 revivals. In our experience it has also a certain resemblance to 

 some cases of so-called ' Maladie de Gilles de la Tourette,' the main 

 symptoms of which are echolalia and coprolalia. 



A peculiar psychical outbreak took place in Madagascar in the 

 years 1863-64 among the women of the lowest classes, consequent 

 on the profound sensations caused by the violent death of King 

 Ramada IL, and the subsequent changes in the religion and laws. 

 This outbreak is said to have been identical with the dancing mania 

 of the Middle Ages. It is interesting to remember that there is a 

 strong admixture of Malay blood in the natives of Madagascar, 

 especially in the ruling classes. 



It is thus seen that the condition, though at present most marked 

 among the Malays, is, and has been, world-wide in its spread, and 

 is really due to the possession of feeble higher centres which are 

 easily upset, and then are unable to control the lower centres in the 

 accustomed manner. 



Diagnosis. — The diagnosis of latah is based upon the individual 

 uncontrollably performing or imitating actions, often with echolalia 

 or coprolalia. 



