Selected essays and monographs : translations and reprints from various sources.

Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Selected essays and monographs : translations and reprints from various sources. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    50/476 (page 40)
    How is it possible to account for the occurrence of scoliosis ? It is without doubt of too great frequency to be simply a coincidence, and there is nothing to lead one to suspect that it is the cause of the syringomyelia, on the other hand it appears much more reasonable to admit that it is a result of the spinal gliomatosis. Several hypotheses have been formed to explain the origin of this deviation. Kroenig,* in a memoir especially devoted to the study of deviations of the vertebral column in the subjects of tabes, comes to the conclusion that the changes that occur in the long bones may also be found in the short bones, and attributes the scoliosis to a vertebral polyarthritis. If it is admitted that Kroenig’s theory is competent to explain deformities of slight extent, to which the term local may be applied, it gives no explanation of the occurrence of an extensive scoliosis. Roth has propounded another theory, that the scoliosis is of muscular origin; he has observed that the musculi transverso-spinales are frequently atrophied, even from the commencement of the disease, and this atrophy might induce the appearance of scoliosis. In this way it may be explained why sometimes this deformity is an early manifestation of the malady. We quote finally the theory that Morvanf has proposed in explanation of the scoliosis in the disease that bears his name. He says, “It is necessary to admit tne possibility of trophic troubles without changes in the nerves of movement and sensation. . . . We must explain the scoliosis by a disturbance of the central trophic innervation.” Indeed, according to Morvan scoliosis forms one of the group of trophic disturbances depending on the alterations in the central grey substance. We agree with this opinion that scoliosis forms one of the group of trophic troubles ; its development is aided, no doubt, by the muscular atrophy, and especially by the contracture to which has been ascribed so important a role in the scoliosis of I ried- reich’s disease. 3. Vaso-motor disturbances. These have also been commonly observed during the course of syringomyelia. They are of the nature of circulatoiy * Kroenig-, Zeitsclirift f. Jclin. Med., T. XIV., 18S8. f Morvan, Gazette hebdomadaire, 1889.