Paralysis agitans

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.