The afferent nervous system from a new aspect : conclusions ... from investigations ... in conjunction with W.H.R. Rivers and J. Sherren / Henry Head, W.H.R. Rivers, J. Sherren.

  • Head, Henry, 1861-1940.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The afferent nervous system from a new aspect : conclusions ... from investigations ... in conjunction with W.H.R. Rivers and J. Sherren / Henry Head, W.H.R. Rivers, J. Sherren. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    presence of similar spots for pain, the general behaviour of a part in this stage of recovering sensibility, closely resembles that of the hot and cold spots. Eadiation takes place widely; a more intense stimulus is necessary to evoke pain, but when evoked, the pain is greater than over the normal skin. We also found that in this stage of recovery many of the hairs had gained a pecuHar sensibility. When a hair on the normal skin is gently Hfted, a sensation of touch is caused which is extremely well localised. But in the stage of recovery we are now discussing, the movement of the hairs produced a curious widespread formication, with the same reference to distant parts as in the case of temperature and pain. However widespread the radiation may be to prick, to heat, to cold, or on touching the hairs, it is not fortuitous in its distribution. We found, by repeated experiment, that certain areas on the hand always caused radiation into some other part irrespective of the form of stimulation. All these facts would seem to show that we are here face to face with an undiscovered form of sensibility, capable of producing quahtative changes in consciousness, but incapable of causing a quantitative change apart from the extent of area stimulated. The position of the point stimulated cannot be recognised and each stimulus causes a widespread, radiating sensation, not infrequently referred to parts at a distance. To this form of sensibility we propose to give the name protopathic. The return of protopathic sensibihty brings a cessation of all those destructive changes in nutrition that occur'in parts where the skin is insensitive. Ulcers form, as the consequence of burns or cuts, and do not heal so readily as on the normal skin. But such trophic changes are con- fined to parts insensitive to protopathic stimuli. With the return of protopathic sensibility, ulcers cease to form, and sores heal as readily as on the normal skin, although the partis remain insensitive to all the higher forms of stimula- tion, such as light touch. Thus a part supplied by proto- pathic sensibility alone grows, and is repaired, as easily as the normal skin. After the affected part has remained for a variable period