Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.
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rare instances it is arrested, so that recovery and years of health may follow. It is scarcely necessary to say, that in such a disease, the more recent cases — i. e., after a lull in its progress—are the most hopeful for recovery. Consequently the more recent and partial cases are to be taken for hopeful treatment, rather than those of long standing. The currents of Galvanism or Faradaism, are the only, or certainly the most powerful, means known for arresting the progress of this affection, and turning the tide of adverse bodily action into a healthy direction. That certain cases, and particularly such as arc of the general kind, do run their fatal course in spite of electro-therapeutics and all other treatment, is, as Dr. Althaus says, no disparage- ment to electric remedies, for they cannot be expected to ac- complish every thing, — even impossibilities. The indication in the electric treatment is much the same as that in lead palsy; i. e., to cause the muscles to contract as sep- arately, as strongly, and repeatedly as possible, and yet -without too much fatigue ; to cause the dilatation of the capillaries at one moment, and the contraction of the blood vessels at an- other ; and thus attract to, and urge more blood through those tissues, to warm and nourish them ; and finally that by the chemical, or rather the catalylical, action of Galvanism or Far- adaism, the mal-process of animal chemistry may thus be so broken up and disturbed from time to time, and under such circumstances, that the ever-ready laws of vitality may arrange and re-arrange, and restore those processes again that we term natural and healthy. To bring about so desirable a result, we must persevere for a long time, even where no tangible im- provement is produced, say for the first month or so; but so soon as it is found that we thus arrest the further progress of the malady, we shall be all the more likely then to improve fur- ther the condition of the patient, and very possibly to effect a cure. Dr. Budge, in an interesting paper communicated to the French Academy in 1858, stated that he had ascertained that the actual number of muscle fibres increases with every year during the period of growth; so that the increase of muscular