The treatment of tabetic ataxia by means of systematic exercise / by H.S. Frenkel.

Frenkel, H. S. (Heinrich S.), 1860-1931.

Date:: 1917

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The treatment of tabetic ataxia by means of systematic exercise / by H.S. Frenkel. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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so prepared that one edge remains sharp, the second has been bevelled off while the third is grooved. The block is placed on a table in front of the patient in the position indicated by the drawing, with the grooved edge up. The patient is given a stout pencil and is requested to draw the point of the pencil along the groove from the further end of the block towards him at the same time holding his fingers and wrist-joint per- fectly stiff. This exercise is by no means easy, especially when the pencil is to be held with the slightest degree of force. At first the pencil will often leave the groove; gradually its progress along the groove becomes more steady although by no means free from wobbling. The object of this exercise is to teach the patient to keep his atm, raised. ‚in a certain position and to make small excursions in the hori- zontal plane which bear a certain proportion to the larger excursions in the elbow- joint. The absolute magnitude of the ‘movements in the two joints varies of course at every moment, but their excursions must continue to be in correlation to one another if the movement is to be coordinate and suitable for the purpose for which it was intended. Every error of innervation, every incoordinate movement is registered by the pencil on the block giving the patient and the doctor an opportunity at once to correct the faulty movement. By altering the position of the block on the table a series of variations may be introduced. The move- | ment of the pencil along the groove must be slow and uninter- rupted and equal force must be used throughout. The tabetic patient will experience the greatest difficulty at first in conforming FIG. IIL.— THE TRIANGULAR BLOCK