Abstract
1. In a few intra-cranial diseases a subnormal
temperature is a definite feature of the
condition. This was chiefly the case in
vascular diseases. In both cerebral haemorrhage
and cerebral thrombosis there was
a sharp fall at the onset of disease, followed
by a rise to normal or higher, and
again by a period of irregular subnormal
temperature.
2. Intra-cranial tumours and increased intracranial
pressure do not as a rule give
rise to low temperatures, though there
were exceptions. In the few cases of
cerebral tumour with subnormal temperature
the disease was advanced and the prognosis
was bad.
3. In a few cases of epilepsy with physical and
mental deterioration a subnormal temperature
was a definite feature, but in the
majority, even with mental changes, the
temperature was within normal limits.
4. Some cases of nervous disease with muscular
wasting had prolonged periods of subnormal
temperature; and possibly advanced cases
of disseminated sclerosis with extensive
paralysis may be included in this group.
The essential factor seems to be the deficient
heat production in the affected
muscles.
5. In starvation states, such as bulbar palsy,
a low temperature is evidently due to deficient
food supply.
6. In a few non-febrile conditions with pain
there were falls of temperature which
could be traced to attacks of pain, or to
lack of sleep.
7. Neuroses, mental depression and mental deterioration
may be accompanied by very
low and irregular temperatures which are
influenced by the mental state during recovery.
