On the speedy relief of pain and other nervous affections, by means of the hypodermic method / by Charles Hunter.

  • Hunter, Charles, 1834 or 1835-1878.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the speedy relief of pain and other nervous affections, by means of the hypodermic method / by Charles Hunter. 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.

    13/66 (page 11)
    hardened gold, in whicli two particulars it differs from the French one invented a year or two before. In October, 1859, I had the barrel of the original syringe enlarged to hold thirty minims, the screw more carefully regulated, and the glass barrel graduated. In 1858, the plan of Wood was first used in St. George's Hospital, Dr. Pitman having kindly consented to let me try it upon a man (T. G.), who had suffered frightfully from neuralgia for four years. At the same time I employed it in a case of severe hemioranial neuralgia with disorganization of the eye, in a young woman (E. P.) about eighteen years old. Both cases received decided benefit, neither were speedily cured; both had abscess in the neuralgic site, from the continuance of the localization.* I then varied the site of the injection, chiefly puncturing the arm, in both patients. The man went out cured, the young woman went to the Middlesex Hospital. She was the first patient treated by subcutaneous injection in that Institution. Under the care of Mr. De Morgan, the varied site of injection was had recourse to, and the same solution that I had used at St. George's was employed. She received great benefit, and has now been for several years free from neuralgia. It appeared fair to deduce from these cases :~ Firstly. That in neuralgia equal benefit followed distant injection of the cellular tissue, as followed the injection of the neuralgic site. Secondly. That localization was not necessary to benefit a given part. Thirdly. That for certain reasons it was better not to localize. The chief being :—1. The infliction of unnecessary pain ; and 2. The almost certain risk of irritating, thickening, or inducing matter in the part from the repetition. 3. It moreover became evident, that a large class of neuralgia woidd he ex- cluded from this treatment if it was necessary to inject the neuralgic site. But as my experiments showed, such was not the case, I inferred, that diseases of any one part of the body could be eflFectually treated by injection of the cellular tissue of any other part. Before introducing this as a law, it would be better to furnish one or two more strikiw/ examples than the first two mentioned, and as regards cure, rather prolonged cases. I will take, for example, such forms of neuralgia as would have beea treated in Edinburgh by the local injection, * These oases, with remarks upon them, are to be found in the Medical Times and Gazelle, October 16th ajid 30tli, 1858. B 2