A text-book on nervous diseases by American authors / edited by Francis X. Dercum.

  • Dercum, Francis X. (Francis Xavier), 1856-1931.
Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A text-book on nervous diseases by American authors / edited by Francis X. Dercum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    tricity, while in the second categoiy we very often attain good results. It is essential in this form to subject the entire nerve to the action of the current. For this purpose a large plate electrode is placed over the sacrum or over the sciatic notch, while the other electrode is passed over the entire course of the nerves. Strong currents may be used, and each application be made to last from ten to fifteen minutes. Galvano-faradization of the entire limb and faradic brushing of the skin are also occasionally of benefit. Of other neuralgias, the cervico-occipital and those of the radial and ulnar territories are frequently quickly and permanently relieved by a few appli- cations of electricity. Of intercostal neuralgias the same may be said as of sciatic :that they are often due to inflammatory disorders of the nerve, and are then hardly sus- ceptible of improvement by means of electricity. In idiopathic intercostal neuralgias relief is obtained by the usual methods. These remarks apply in their entirety to the form known as mastodynia and to the functional neu- roses, from the fact that disorders of the nervous system, without known path- ological basis, may produce local as well as general symptoms. We can under- stand that their electrical treatment may similarly be divided into a local and a general one. According to the nature of the case, the relief of simple symp- toms and the restoration of the disturbed nervous parts to their normal con- dition will be the results aimed at. The first of these indications may often be met by local electrical treatment alone, but in the second it is always necessary to subject the entire central nervous system to the modifying treat- ment, and here electricity should be regarded simply as an adjuvant, a very valuable one, it is true, to other remedies. Among the functional neuroses, in the treatment of which electricity has been at various times highly recommended, is chorea minor. The failure of all the usual remedies occasionally makes it necessary that electricity should be tried in this aflfection. The only current which could possibly have any influence upon this dis- order is the galvanic, and galvanization of the spine or of the brain has been recommended, according to whether the advocate was an adherent of the spinal or cerebral theory of its causation. Temporary results are occasionally obtained by either method, but I have never seen any evidence of permanent benefit; on the other hand, I have repeatedly seen the choreic movements decidedly increased through unskilled electrical applications. Everything which excites or frightens the patient is to be strenuously avoided in the treatment of chorea; hence the use of the faradic current, of the electric brush, of strong galvanic currents, as has been advocated, cannot be too strongly discountenanced. Cerebral galvanization has also been recommended in epilepsy, notwith- standing that neither our knowledge of the pathogeny of this obscure disease nor clinical experience furnishes a single argument in its favor. The current recommended has naturally been galvanic, and the methods those of central and subaural galvanization. If made use of at all, extraordinary care should be exercised in these applications, for the occurrence of an epileptic attack during the passage of the current would certainly be attributed to this procedure. All in all, even the reports of the advocates of the use of electricity in the treatment of epilepsy are not such as to warrant us in expecting as good results from it as we do from the administration of certain internal remedies. Paralysis Agitans. The electrical treatment of this disease, galvanic or static, occupies the same place as treatment of other nature. Various writers have recommended this or that electrical method as palliative of cer- tain symptoms, or even as curative of the disease, but every conscientious