Abstract
Pupillary disturbances in catatonic patients were first described by A. Westphal.1He observed that the pupils show seemingly irregular changes in their reaction to light, ranging from a prompt reaction to absolute rigidity, frequently with sluggishness, but always with changes in form. He also found that the pupillary reaction in convergence was often preserved. Loewenstein2showed that the so-called Redlich phenomenon of the pupils also can often be observed in catatonic patients. Redlich3was the first to describe the fact that in epileptic persons strong muscular exertion sometimes provokes pupillary rigidity, but he was also able to demonstrate that similar muscular exertion in other patients also diminishes, and even abolishes, the pupillary reaction to light. He interpreted the phenomenon as the effect of the muscular strain. Loewenstein considered the emotional factor connected with the muscular exertion as the basic cause of the pupillary phenomenon. Shortly after Westphal's
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