Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.
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in the arms, hands, and feet, accompanied with swellings of the joints, especially of the fingers ; in fact, it was a case of old gouty rheumatism, with contractions and nodosities, of long standing, which had resulted in great helplessness, atrophy of muscles, and trembling in the limbs. When the patient was undressed, there was a visible wasting from the shoulders to the hands, and that with oscillating motions in the flexor muscles, which were soft and flaccid, with the exception of the biceps, which was, on the contrary, so hard and contracted that the ex- tension of the arm, or the lifting of it above a horizontal position, was quite impossible. A seance was decided \ipon. " Some thirty-five elements of Daniell's batteries were switched on the key-board, and, by means of small brass-ball electrodes covered with wet wash-leather, this current was applied through the shoulder and arm, in all for about six minutes, as follows: First, from the nerve thoracici to the nerve circumflexus humeri for one minute; then from the same point to the anterior portion of the muscle deltoides for one minute ; then from the deltoideus posterior to the nerve circumflexus and fossa supra-spinala for one minute more." It will be observed, he says, that the cur- rent had so far been running mainly in an upward direction, with only some changes of position for the electrodes, and with momentary recesses. Now, the patient was required to try the motions of the arm, and it was at once evident that he could move it about easier ; and not only so, but he could raise it bet- ter, and with less pain and trembling. Again the electrodes were applied, the one in the supra clavicula fossa, while the other was on the lower portion of the muscle biceps, and now with a down-running current: thus it was let on for one minute. Then, after a recess of a few seconds, it was again let on in the same manner for one minute more. Next, the one electrode was removed to the upper and posterior portion of the deltoides, while the other electrode was planted on the lower third of the muscle triceps, and this, with an up-running current, was re- tained for one minute more. Thus ended the first seance. But I should have mentioned that by this the patient was a little " suppled," and but a little. I also wish to remark, as he