Who I am liking as a jtr suspect

[Stephen Thomas]

He never actually did the 12 months hard labour, he was sent to an asylum instead.

Aha, Tj, this gets more interesting by the minute.

[Mrs. E. Nigma]

Hmm..

Hello All,


Since I read this post a few days ago, I stared doing some reading on Neurosyphilis. This is the point where the syphilis has gotten so bad that it's affecting your brain. The paragraph that follows can be found by searching "Syphilis" on Wikipedia.com:

"Neurosyphilis

Neurosyphilis refers to a site of infection involving the central nervous system (CNS). Neurosyphilis may occur at any stage of syphilis. Before the advent of antibiotics, it was typically seen in 25-35% of patients with syphilis.[citation needed]

Neurosyphilis is now most common in patients with HIV infection. Reports of neurosyphilis in HIV-infected persons are similar to cases reported before the HIV pandemic.[clarification needed] The precise extent and significance of neurologic involvement in HIV-infected patients with syphilis, reflected by either laboratory or clinical criteria, have not been well characterized. Furthermore, the alteration of host immunosuppression by antiretroviral therapy in recent years has further complicated such characterization.[citation needed]

Approximately 35 to 40% of persons with secondary syphilis have asymptomatic central nervous system (CNS) involvement, as demonstrated by any of these on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination:[citation needed]

* An abnormal leukocyte cell count, protein level, or glucose level
* Demonstrated reactivity to Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) antibody test

Commonly called Brain Syphilis, Neurosyphilis dementia is also a psychiatric diagnosis wherein a multitude of atypical anti-psychotic medications are used to help control the patient's irrational behaviors, with limited success. The term is used in traditional classifications of organic disorders of the brain.[citation needed]

There are four clinical types of neurosyphilis:[citation needed]

* Asymptomatic neurosyphilis
* Meningovascular syphilis
* General paresis[6]
* Tabes dorsalis

The late forms of neurosyphilis (tabes dorsalis and general paresis) are seen much less frequently since the advent of antibiotics. The most common manifestations today are asymptomatic or symptomatic meningitis.[citation needed] Acute syphilitic meningitis usually occurs within the first year of infection; 10% of cases are diagnosed at the time of the secondary rash. Patients present with headache, meningeal irritation, and cranial nerve abnormalities, Argyll Robertson pupil (miotic pupil not reactive to light but reactive to accommodation), especially the optic nerve, facial nerve and the vestibulocochlear nerve. Rarely, it affects the spine instead of the brain, causing focal muscle weakness or sensory loss.[citation needed]

Meningovascular syphilis occurs a few months to 10 years (average, 7 years) after the primary syphilis infection. Meningovascular syphilis can be associated with prodromal symptoms lasting weeks to months before focal deficits are identifiable. Prodromal symptoms include unilateral numbness, paresthesias, upper or lower extremity weakness, headache, vertigo, insomnia, and psychiatric abnormalities such as personality changes. The focal deficits initially are intermittent or progress slowly over a few days. However, it can also present as an infectious arteritis and cause an ischemic stroke, an outcome more commonly seen in younger patients. Angiography may be able to demonstrate areas of narrowing in the blood vessels or total occlusion.

General paresis, otherwise known as general paresis of the insane, is a severe manifestation of neurosyphilis. It is a chronic dementia that ultimately results in death in as little as 2–3 years. In general, patients have progressive personality changes, memory loss and poor judgment. In more rare instances, they can have psychosis, depression or mania. Imaging of the brain usually shows atrophy."

Jacob Levy was admitted to the London asylum August 15, 1890. At this point, they said that his illness had bothered him for quite some time. He died July 29, 1891 from General Paralysis of the Insane brought on by syphilis. If we assume, by his date of death, that it was 3 years prior that he was first affected by neuro syphilis, that would land us right in the middle of Summer 1888. Nothing saying he was our Jack, but I thought it was interesting.

--Erynn

P.S. Sorry it was so long!