A contribution to the surgery of the spinal cord.

  • Thorburn, William, Sir, 1861-1923.
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A contribution to the surgery of the spinal cord. 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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    THE SUEGEKY OF THE SPINAL COED. CHAPTER I. INJURIES TO THE CERVICAL REGION OF THE SPINAL CORD, Since January 1885 there have been admitted to the Manchester Infirmary twenty-one cases of injury to the cervical region of the spinal cord, from an examination of which I have been able to arrive at certain conclusions as to the exact distribution of the motor and sensory functions of the brachial enlargement. As none of the injuries occurred higher than the origin of the fourth pair of cervical nerves, I have nothing to add to our previous knowledge of the functions of the upper portion of the cord, but shall proceed at once to the consideration of that section comprised between the third cervical and second dorsal roots. Before doing so, it will, however, be convenient to summarise the results, as regards localisation, obtained by previous observers: results derived from evidence of three classes—experimental, clinical, and anatomical. Drs. Ferrier and Yeo ^ have investigated, in the monkey, the effects of irritation of each of the cervical roots, and, on the basis of these researches, Ferrier ^ has assigned certain muscles to each root, which, inverting the original arrangement, we find to be as follows, from above downwards :— Fourth cervical type:—Deltoid, rhomboid, supra- and infra- spinatus (teres minor), biceps, brachialis anticus, supinator longus, extensors of wrist and fingers, diaphragm. Fifth cervical type:—Deltoid (clavicular portion), biceps, brachialis anticus, serratus magnus, supinator longus, extensors of wrist and fingers. 1 Proc. Roy. Soc, No. ccxii. p. 12. ^ Brain, vol. iv., 18S2, p. 226. A.