RT Journal
T1 CUrrent comment
JF Journal of the American Medical Association
JO Journal of the American Medical Association
YR 1939
FD June 3
VO 112
IS 22
SP 2292
OP 2292
DO 10.1001/jama.1939.02800220058018
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1939.02800220058018
AB FRACTURE OF THE SPINE DURING METRAZOL THERAPY FOR DEMENTIA PRAECOX 
    In this week's issue of The Journal (page 2240) appears another contribution concerned with fracture of the spine complicating metrazol therapy. Incidentally, the paper by Bennett and Fitzpatrick was received previously to the article by Polatin and his co-workers, which was published in The Journal April 29. Obviously convulsive therapy represents a difficult technic. It is susceptible to serious complications and is therefore one that should never be undertaken except under the best of controlled conditions. The report by Bennett and Fitzpatrick, first presented at a meeting of the Boston Society of Psychiatry and Neurology on February 16, indicates that eight out of seventeen patients treated by this technic complained of backache and that each of these patients showed x-ray evidence of compressed fractures affecting the spine. In this connection, the technic for preventing this complication described by Hamsa and