Elementary principles of electrotherapeutics for the use of physicians and students / Prepared by C.M. Haynes, M.D.

  • Haynes, C. M. (Celia M.)
Date:
[1884], [©1884]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elementary principles of electrotherapeutics for the use of physicians and students / Prepared by C.M. Haynes, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    Treatment of Neuralgia The Faradic current will very frequently cure a neuralgia at one sitting of from twenty to thirty minutes. Not that every one, however roughly or carelessly he may apply it, can se- cure such favorable results. In our own ex- perience the following method has been uni- formly successful: First. Place the so-called positive pole over the painful spot, sponge-covered electrode, sponge moistened with warm salt water. Second. Place the other pole at some adjacent healthy part, a little below the positive and opposite to it, preferably at some point along the spinal column. Thus, if the neuralgia is in the head and the face, place the negative over the lower cervical vertebrae; if of the ab- dominal viscera, over the lower dorsal vertebrae, or down towards the coccyx; suit the strength of the current to the location, that it may not be painful; very light over the head and face, and sufficiently strong over the viscera. Give sta- tionary application to the painful spot, and manipulate all around from that as a centre towards the other pole. Some practitioners claim that for this application the negative electrode should be attached to a cord twice the length of the other. The galvanic current is also used to treat neuralgias; positive pole to the affected parts, and negative on some opposite healthy part. A person who is subject to recurring neural- gias should receive the general tonic treatment until the system is sufficiently toned up to resist the neuralgic tendency. In our next we shall speak of the treatment of rheumatic affections. YALE MEDICAL LIBRARY GENERAL MEDICAL LIBRARY