[In Context] Aseptic meningitis

In 1932, the Guy's Hospital (London, UK) physician John Ryle lectured on meningitis and meningism. By meningitis he meant the pathological state that involved inflammation, usually infective, of the meninges; and by meningism, he meant a clinical condition comprising Kernig's sign and neck rigidity but lacking final proof of bacteria in the CSF. Ryle argued that meningism was always indicative of irritation of the meninges or a mild meningitis, even if it was aseptic, giving as examples the aseptic meningitis of subarachnoid haemorrhage and the meningism seen in cases of pneumonia and otitis media, which he speculated was due to the “chemical products of fever or contiguous infection”.