Methods of Treatment in Postencephalitic Parkinsonism: By Henry D. von Witzleben. New York: Grune & Stratton, Inc., 1942. 164 pp.

With short and precise formulations condensed in one hundred fifty pages, an excellent and informative outline is given about the treatment of postencephalitic parkinsonism. A short chapter about diagnosis and differential diagnosis forms the starting point emphasizing the importance of the differences in the treatment of chronic encephalitic parkinsonism, arteriosclerotic parkinsonism, and paralysis agitans. The descriptions of treatment include chemotherapy, serum therapy, vaccine treatment, surgical fever, and roentgen therapy.

The main part of the book culminates in the description and evaluation of the Bulgarian treatment which belongs to the alkaloid therapy and which was worked out by Raeff, Panegrossi and von Witzleben.

The chapter on General Rules on Treatment and the last chapter on Therapy by Physical Exercises and Calisthenics avoid almost demonstratively any reference to psychotherapeutic possibilities or even implications. It is however emphasized that alkaloid therapy must be combined with physical exercise if the astonishing success of the author's treatments is to be repeated.