On the advantages of exercise in some spinal deviations, addressed to Sir Benjamin Brodie ... / by A.M. Bureaud Riofrey.

Date:
[1837]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the advantages of exercise in some spinal deviations, addressed to Sir Benjamin Brodie ... / by A.M. Bureaud Riofrey. 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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    causes, nature, and species of deviations of the spinal column, hut merely confine myself to those points I have disapproved in my former letter,—I allude to crutches during the day, and traction during the night and part of the day. The disadvantages of in- action are so great, that even in cases of fractured limbs I would, were it possible recommend exercise: and it is the importance of exercise in fractures of the legs, which has led some surgeons to advise the use of crutches for adults. If I wished to bring forward examples of the disadvantages of inaction, I could easily find them in your own works, and I beg to relate one case that has attracted my particular attention. A girl of eight years old was admitted in St. George’s Hospital. At this time the upper part of the spine was bent forward, and the spinous processes of some of the dorsal vertebrae formed a preternatural projection at the posterior part, but still she was able to walk without assistance. She died. The body was examined by Mr. Howship; it was universally anasarcous. The abdominal muscles were so toasted that scarcely any vestige of them teas perceptible. This probably arose from the circumstance of the child having remained in bed for so long a time previous to her death, and having scarcely ever varied her position. I merely quote this case which happened to lay before me, to show that you are of opinion that the want of exercise, and inaction in bed, can have a great share in producing atrophy of the muscles. It will probably be said, that in this case, the incurvation forward of the spinal column, condemned the abdominal muscles, to in- action; if so, it is evident that inaction of the muscles, whatever may be its cause, wastes them and destroys their power; I shall take this point as granted, and will make use of it later on. But will this fact be denied? Will it also be denied that not only the muscles, but also the bones, and all the organs of the economy are weakened ? I could easily take advantage of your beautiful experiments on animals, reported in your clinical lectures on un-united fractures,