Abstract
That a disease so striking in its results as Paralysis
Agitans, and one imprinting such a characteristic appearance
upon its subjects should have remained unrecognised as a clinical entity until towards the end of the first quarter of the
present century, is a remarkable instance of the fact upon which
Charcot so frequently laid stress, viz: that we often only see
what? we expect to see, and that prejudice blinds us to such an
extent that we pass by the most obtrusive facts, unless they
happen to fit in with our preconceived notions; nay more, we
wilfully put aside facts which do not seem to coincide with
what we are looking for, and accept only those which we actually
expect to find.
