Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.
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D. Note 2. (See pages 336, 369, 380, 396.) My experience in the treat- ment of cephalalgia, or head-pains, and the various " ugly and disagreeable feelings in the head," those that occur at the back of the head and neck, aris- ing from what I conceive to be a " disguised " neuralgic condition of the gan- glionic nerves in the head, or of the occipital nerves, (but sometimes from this unrecognized condition of the supra-orbital nerve,) leads me to advise, as a general rule, to first pass the large sponge negative electrode well down the back, inside the loosened clothing, or else up under the clothing from below, so as to be beyond the cervical ganglia; and if as low as the Cauda equina (second lumbar) is better still; then with the other large moist sponge positive elec- trode, commence over the cervical region, increasing the current to all that is bearable, (painless,) and thus wiping over the whole sides and back of the neck, slowly back and forth, without much rest, as far as to the shoulders, for some few minutes; then resting it from half minute to half minute, at or just below the most sore or sensitive places, at the base of the head, close to the hair, back of the ears, and on the posterior edge of the sterno-cleido mastoideus muscles. If the person is not nervous, and the first few seances do not better the case decidedly, then for once apply at a future sitting the large sponge positive electrode, and only a very gentle current, to the crown of the head, and upon the parietal protuberances, through the parted hair, where the spots must also be a little wet; retain this current and site of electrode some 2 or 3 minutes only, well back upon the top of the head. Moreover, sometimes change the site of the negative electrode to the epigastric region, while direct- ing the small sponge positive to the supra-orbital nerve exit; also while more strongly bathing the neck and shoulders as before; but never while the positive electrode is on the top of the head. In this latter case — a procedure I seldom resort to — the negative must be somewhere down the back. D. Note 3. (See pages 336, 534, 538.) For operations about the eyes with electricity, for " heaviness," weakness, premature "poor sight," or paral- ysis of eyelids, or for partial amaurosis, &c, we must proceed very differently from the method laid down in Note 1. Here, we have diminished nervous action ; there, was exalted nervous action. True, I usually commence the seance by placing one electrode first at the epigastrium, and then at the lower cervical back, and with the other medium-sized sponge begin wiping over the closed eyes, face, and temples repeatedly, but as carefully avoiding the fore- head ; first with this electrode as positive, while searching for pain, tenderness, and the bcarableness of the case ; then with it as negative, for a minute or so longer; and if the current is electro-magnetic, let it be gently increased as strong as can be used, without producing pain or any kind of suffering. For some cases, both the electrodes can be applied to the eyes, and exchanged back and forth, with good effects, in working up the nervous tone and muscular response. This may become still more effective by reversing the current by the switch or pole-changer, instead of exchanging the site of the electrodes. Next we are to exchange the large or medium sponges for the more delicate