Further studies on the muscular factor in infantile paralysis / William Mackenzie.

  • Mackenzie, William Colin, Sir, 1877-1938.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Further studies on the muscular factor in infantile paralysis / William Mackenzie. 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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    Reprinted from the “ Australian Medical Journal, June 20, 1911. FURTHER STUDIES ON THE MUSCULAR INFANTILE PARALYSIS. WILLIAM MACKENZIE, M.D., F. Lecturer on Applied Anatomy, Melbourne The Stability of Muscle in the An Since John Hunter delivered his celebrated Croon 1 “ Muscular Motion,” in which he drew attention of every muscle in an animal body as a simple independent power, scant attention seems to have been paid to this subject. On the con- trary, we find much energy devoted to the study of bone, whose exist- ence, as shown, not only from the laws of evolution, but by numerous instances in the comparative world, is dependent on muscle. To that apathy is due the total disregard hitherto shown to the muscle in infantile paralysis. Since Hunter wrote, perhaps the most important work is that of Harrison, who by removal of the spinal cord in a series of frog embryos finally determined that muscular tissue is already pre-determined in the early gastrula, or even in the egg itself, and not dependency as was thought on stimuli from the nervous system. The stability of muscle cells in the animal economy is fatnilar to all histologists, and we know of course that protoplasmic contraction and relaxation occurred before bone or nerve tissue came into being, and in a low variety of Mollusc, the central nervous system has beem completely removed without interference with muscular action; and further under narcosis, loss of muscular movement is preceded by loss of consciousness. The view usually held, we take it, is that muscles remaining hopelessly paralysed are so owing to destruction of the corresponding cornual cells; for if the cells had recovered, in the absence of mecahanicl interference the muscles should commence to “ functionise.” And similarly the coldness of the limb, its shortness and atrophy, are simply indications of loss of trophic function of the cells. The inherent stability of the muscle cell has never been regarded as worthy of consideration in this disease, nor the line of recovery as being along the avenue of muscular action and irrespective possibly of the consideration of great destruction of central cells. Furthermore, also, the muscle in this disease, apart altogether from sequential