Observations on functional affections of the spinal cord and ganglionic system of nerves, in which their identity with sympathetic, nervous, and imitative diseases is illustrated / by William Griffin and by Daniel Griffin.

Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on functional affections of the spinal cord and ganglionic system of nerves, in which their identity with sympathetic, nervous, and imitative diseases is illustrated / by William Griffin and by Daniel Griffin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    patients, we believe, would have recovered by mere change of air, the use of the shower bath, gentle exercise, and care of the general health, who have been doomed to months and years of suffering in consequence of the insertion of issue peas. The very nature of the habits in which spinal irritation occurs is commonly unfavourable to the action of issues, a fact well illustrated in the writings of the late Mr. Abernethy. He details several cases of paralysis or weakness of the lower extremities, dependent on spinal irritation, or, as he explained it, on constitutional disorder acting through the spinal cord without the intervention of the brain, in which there was an immediate improvement on the healing up of these drains. The truth is, counter-irri- tation in any shape for these disorders of the nerves or nervous masses can only be looked upon as an adjuvant in the cure, and as such not always, nor perhaps very often applicable. The temporary stimulus of a blister in the neighbourhood of a strumous eye, may sometimes effect much good; but who would trust to it alone, or who would insert issue peas in the neck for it, before he had endea- voured to improve and restore strength to the morbid habit by the usual means? We do not wish exactly to proscribe this remedy in the complaint, because we know it has at times proved useful in protracted cases, but we are totally averse to the practice of consigning a young lady to issues and a deal board, for mere irritation and tenderness of the spine, however distressing may be its effects. This brings us to speak of the recumbent posture, which has been also considered necessary to the successful manage- ment of these cases. We were at one time inclined to attribute their difficulty of cure among the lower order to the impossibility of making it a part of the treatment with them; but experience eventually convinced us, that it is not only unnecessary in the generality of instances, but absolutely injurious, at least in the rigid way in which it is often practised. When the patient is suffering very acute pain in the side or stomach, when the spinal tenderness is great, and relief is felt on lying down, reclination for some hours a day on a sofa or mattress may be necessary^ but