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Book Review of Newton's Madness: Further Tales of Clinical Neurology

Newton's Madness: Further Tales of Clinical Neurology
tripleguess avatar reviewed on + 48 more book reviews


I found this to be a highly interesting book. Having a dictionary on hand was a must, although the author often provides definitions for words like hemiparesis, thrombosis, and ataxia right there in the text.

Some things I learned about that I'd never heard of before:

Poriomania. Basically the aftereffect of a seizure in which a sufferer may wander about almost unconsciously without them or others realizing it, while performing complex tasks such as changing a tire or correctly diagnosing a patient (doctors can have seizures too) and responding automatically to standard greetings.

Wilson's disease, which messes with the body's ability to properly metabolize copper.

Huntington's chorea. Now I know why it's such a dreaded disease.

Many other interesting neurological conditions are touched upon. This was a great introduction for a layperson. The author is a good storyteller.