Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.
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irritate the os uteri by digitation, we act on the third. These measures, as well as this knowledge, are of great importance in our attempts to arouse the uterus itself to action. Now, in all these varied actions, the excitor nerves, the spinal centre, and the motor nerves are concerned. The uterus does not contract simply and singly from any inherent power belonging to the organ itself. Its actions from these sources of excitation de- pend mainly on its connection with the spinal marrow. Doubt- less there are other forms of action mixed up with those which are purely reflex, and to these I shall presently revert; but what I would contend for is, that much of the uterine action conse- quent upon irritation of the uterus itself is as strictly reflex — as much produced through the medium of incident and motor nerves, and the spinal centre — as are the uterine actions caused by irritation of the mammary or rectal nerves. This is what I cannot too much insist upon. (See Appendix E, Note 2.) But again, this is illustrated in the case of the stomach ; for there are other medicines — the potassio-tartrate of antimony, for instance, which acts as an emetic only after it has been taken into the circulation, and which acts more promptly when injected into the blood itself. I believe the action of this med- icine to be perfectly analogous to the action of the ergot of rye; that the one acts upon the medulla oblongata and the motor nerves of uterine action. The ergot, therefore, is a remedy of centric utero-spinal action. We shall presently see that these inquiries into the mode of action of remedies are not without a practical use. The ergot, in addition to its utero-spinal action, sometimes produces vomiting, thus affecting the medulla oblon- gata, as well as the lower segments of the spinal centre ; but it is remarkable that, though an excitant of motor action in these instances, it diminishes the frequency and force of the heart's action. This action of the ergot is favorable in some cases of hemorrhage, but unfavorable in others, as where failure of the circulation, and dissolution, appear to be imminent. Moreover, Dr. Smith speaks of " the different modes of ex- citing uterine action by stimulating the muscular irritability of the organ," as distinguished from the excitement of muscular 52