Lectures on epilepsy, pain, paralysis, and certain other disorders of the nervous system : delivered at the Royal College of Physicians in London / by Charles Bland Radcliffe.

  • Radcliffe, Charles Bland, 1822-1889.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on epilepsy, pain, paralysis, and certain other disorders of the nervous system : delivered at the Royal College of Physicians in London / by Charles Bland Radcliffe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

    18/376
    CONTENTS. to the state of muscular relaxation by keeping the muscular mole- ciiJes in a state of electrical tension—the absence of this electricity- may bring about rigor mortis by allowing the physical attraction of the muscular molecules to come into play. Pp. 1—37. LECTURE ir. Tlie electrical phenomena ■presented by muscle end motor nerve during the date of action.—The state of action in muscle is accom- panied by a discharge of electricity analogous to that of a torpedo —the state of action in a motor nerve is accompanied by a dis- charge of electricity analogous to that of a torj:»edo—the natural electricity which is present in living muscle diu-ing the state of rest is almost altogether absent during the state of action—the natural electricity which is present in motor nerve during the state of rest is almost altogether absent during the state of action —ordinary muscular contraction and rigor mortis m&j alike be dependent upon the absence of the natural electricity which is present in li\ang muscle during the state of rest and relaxation. The part ichich animal electricity lias to play in the process of muscular motion.—Instantaneous currents of high-tension electri- city, as the currents of a coil-machine, have the power of producing a state of action in motor nerve and muscle—continuous currents of low-tension electricity, such as the common galvanic current, have a paralysing influence upon motor nerve and muscle—a motor nerve or muscle cannot be thrown into a state of action by arti- ficial electricity unless it retain a certain amount of natural electricity—natural electricity is diminished or discharged when a motor nerve is thrown into a state of action by artificial electricity —difterence of the action of the two galvanic j)oles upon the natural electricity of nerve, the positive pole increasing, the negative pole decreasing, this electricity—augmented irritability associated with diminished natural electricity—irritability lost when electri- city is extinguished—augmentation of electric tension in natural electricity involves suspension of irritability—influence of positive galvanic pole is to maintain and restore uatui-al electricity—infiu-