Wernicke's encephalopathy revisited

Aims: A translation into English of the case history section of Carl Wernickes original manuscript of 1881, with a discussion on its relevance for clinicians today. Methods: A copy of Carl Wernickes original German text was obtained by one of the authors (CCHC) and translated into English from the old German by a professional translator. Results: The translation was subsequently agreed by native German speaking referees, and minor changes made. Conclusions: The authors studied the translation in detail and concluded that Wernickes description had stood the test of time. The diagnosis of Wernickes Encephalopathy remains a clinical one.