Fat and blood : an essay on the treatment of certain forms of neurasthenia and hysteria / [S. Weir Mitchell].

  • Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir), 1829-1914.
Date:
1902
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Fat and blood : an essay on the treatment of certain forms of neurasthenia and hysteria / [S. Weir Mitchell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ondly, that full feeding is of value, because these disorders are mostly of the character of degener- ations and involve failure of nutrition in various directions; and, lastly, that the exactness of routine is of the highest moral and mental as well as physical importance. Paralysis agitans needs scarcely more than to be mentioned as amenable to the same methods, with small differences in the application of de- tails. Body movements to counteract the tend- ency to rigidity in the flexor groups of spinal muscles will be especially useful, as the stiffness of these is one of the causes of displacement forward of the centre of gravity, a displacement which results in the festination symptom usually seen in such cases. Prescriptions of special exercises for the muscle-masses particularly in- volved in each instance must be given, remem- bering that contraction of the affected muscles will to a certain degree overcome their rigidity even at first, and to a still greater extent as the patient reacquires voluntary control.