Cases of tetany, hysterical contraction, and reflex contraction, illustrating varieties of chronic functional spasm / by Henry Hun.

  • Hun, Henry, 1854-1924.
Date:
[1888]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of tetany, hysterical contraction, and reflex contraction, illustrating varieties of chronic functional spasm / by Henry Hun. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    almost complete anaesthesia and analgesia of both the arms and the legs. When the legs are extended they become flexed again very gradually ; and when her attention is diverted they remain extended for some time. Abdomen is much retracted. There is no ovarian tenderness on either side. Extremities cold. Pulse small and rapid. A few drops of a four per cent, solution of cocaine were dropped into her mouth, after which with some difficulty she managed to swallow a pint of milk. After that she took milk freely, each cupful being preceded by a few drops of the cocaine solution, and a week later she began to take solid food and the cocaine was stopped. At this time she had inconti- nence of urine and feces and was almost constantly soiled. Her legs, which were completely anaes- thetic and analgesic, were straightened by passive motion several times daily, each time causing much pain in her back. In the middle of May, her general condition having improved somewhat, the daily application of electricity to her legs was commenced, the faradic current being used because it was found to produce a more decided effect on the muscles than the gal- vanic current. In less than a week the electricity had produced great improvement, sensibility in all its forms had returned completely in the legs, she was herself able to extend her legs almost com- pletely, and the incontinence of urine and feces ceased. She was able to sit up in a rocking chair, but her head continued to be strongly drawn to the right, and she insisted that one leg was shorter than