Electro-galvanic symptoms, and electro-magnetic remedies, in chronic diseases of the class hypertrophy, or chronic enlargements of the organs and limbs, including all forms of scrofula, with illustrative diagrams and cases / by H.H. Sherwood.

  • Sherwood, H. H. (Henry Hall)
Date:
1837
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Electro-galvanic symptoms, and electro-magnetic remedies, in chronic diseases of the class hypertrophy, or chronic enlargements of the organs and limbs, including all forms of scrofula, with illustrative diagrams and cases / by H.H. Sherwood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    I commenced and pursued the examinations as detailed in the cases, as I commonly do, without any previous knowledge of them. Any person of common education and capacity may easily distinguish the disease in the same way, in any of the organs or limbs. In examining patients with chronic diseases, it should not be forgotten that the disease is sometimes in an active, but most com- monly in a passive state. If the disease were constantly in an active state, patients would die with it in a few weeks, like those with acute diseases, instead of living as they do months, and some- times years. We can always tell, in an instant, whether it is an active or passive state, in the organs, by pressure in the proper places on the spine. If the disease is active, the pain produced by the pressure will dart into the diseased organ with a violence pro- portioned to the intensity of the disease, but if it is in a passive state, pressure produces pain in the spine only, which does not dart into the diseased organ as in its active slate, but is more or less severe in proportion to the progress of the disease. It will be observed, on an examination of the cases, that large tubercles, as well as those of a smaller size, were always found on one or both sides of the neck, and always on the same side with the disease, in white swellings of the joints or limbs. If a person has a white swelling of a joint, or limb, or joints or limbs, on one side only, the ganglia or line of glands from the lower point of the ear down the side of the ncek, as seen in Fig. 20, are always tu- berculated, or more or less enlarged ; and if there are white swell- ings of a joint or limb, or joints and limbs on both sides, then the ganglia of the neck will be tuberculated, and these are the natural symptoms of the disease in the limbs. The frequent changes in the atmosphere, from the positive to the negative state, and its modification at the same time by heat and cold, is a common cause of tubercula of the organs and limbs; because these changes and modifications of the atmosphere pro- duces corresponding changes in the positive and negative states of our bodies, and modifications of the secretions and excretions. When the organs or limbs are tuberculated from this or any other cause, they are more or less sensible to pressure, because it contracts them; but when the pressure is removed they expand, and the pain ceases. So Avhen the atmosphere is damp and cold, it is in a negative state, and the attractions and contractions are prevailing over the repulsions and expansions, and contract the tuberculated organs or limbs, when such patients have more pain, and feel more dull and heavy than they do Avhen the atmosphere is clear and dry and in a positive state. For when the atmosphere changes from the positive to the negative state, the body changes at the same time from the positive to the negative state. When attractions and contractions commence in the tuberculated organs and limbs, and produce dull or aching pains, which torture such patients more or less, until the atmosphere changes from the nega- tive to the positive state, when the pains cease, and they arise from their cots, throw open the doors, and walk abroad with buoyant spirits. 4*