Disorientation
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Disorientation is the inability to understand one's surroundings, particularly regarding time and space, commonly observed in various mental illnesses. It typically manifests as a secondary symptom resulting from impaired consciousness, severe memory disorders, or general dementia.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
DISORIENTATION, the inability to understand the surrounding environment, especially regarding space and time, is a phenomenon very frequently observed in various mental diseases: patients do not recognize people and objects around them, do not know where they are, and cannot name even approximately correct dates of the present time. Disorientation is more often a secondary symptom: at its core in some cases lie disorders of consciousness (clouding, confusion, etc.), in others a sharp memory disturbance (e.g., in Korsakoff's syndrome) or significant degrees of general dementia.
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“Disorientation.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/disorientation/