Citation

Siemerink-Hermans HJ. Ned. Tijdschr. Geneeskd. 1998; 142(15): 864-868.

Vernacular Title

De 'railway spine': vermeend ruggenmergletsel door spoorwegschokken als basis

Affiliation

Academisch Medisch Centrum, Instituut voor Sociale Geneeskunde, Amsterdam.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Erven Bohn)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9623162

Abstract

The diagnosis 'railway spine' was a predominantly 19th century British phenomenon, with faint echos in the Netherlands. The diagnosis was controversial. Train accidents gave rise to litigation in compensation cases in which posttraumatic symptoms with no apparent lesions were related to molecular spinal damage. Medical opinion differed about the physical or psychic nature of the symptoms. The diagnosis was strongly associated with fraudulent claims for compensation and became obsolete after 1900, when the symptoms were generally diagnosed as a functional neurosis. The railway spine controversy was a precursor of the modern discussion concerning the validation of posttraumatic symptoms.

Language: nl