A handbook of therapeutics / by Sydney Ringer.

  • Ringer, Sydney, 1835-1910.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A handbook of therapeutics / by Sydney Ringer. 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.

    55/596 (page 41)
    lumbasfo;0 sometimes sciatica, and those frontal headaches commonly called nervous, arising either from mental or bodily fatigue. Frontal headaches, too, dull and uniform in character, lasting many days, occurring not uncommonly after excitement or an acute illness, as erysipelas, a sevefe cold, or a sore throat, often succumb to ether spray; but it is generally requisite to freeze the skin of the forehead. ON THE SPINAL ICE BAG AND THE SPINAL HOT WATER BAG. The profession is indebted to Dr. Chapman for the introduc- tion of these applications, and for a rational explanation of their action. Concerning the spinal ice bag, Dr. Chapman says, “ I have proved by numerous experiments that cold applied to the back, not only exerts a sedative influence on the spinal cord, but also on those nervous centres which preside over the blood-vessels in all parts of the body. The modus operandi of this influence on those centres, and its effects, may be thus stated: 1st. It partially paralyzes them. 2nd. By means of the partial paralysis thus effected it lessens the nervous cur- rents in the vaso-motor nerves emerging from the ganglia or nerve centres acted upon and stimulating the muscular fibres surrounding the arteries influenced. 3rd. By thus lessening those currents, it lessens the contractile energy of the muscu- lar bands of the arteries to which those currents flow, and by * The pain and stiffness of the muscles of the back in lumbago may often be removed instantaneously by running a needle an inch or more into the painful part; when the lumbago is double, this almost painless operation should be performed on both sides of the loins. Inserted alcjng the course of the sciatic nerve the needle generally affords instant and marked relief even in very chronic cases of sciatica. This treatment indeed, sometimes cures, as if by magic, severe and long standing cases. The passage of an interrupted galvanic current will generally speedily relieve lumbago.