Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.

tractions are not relieved by an exclusive excitement of the once antagonizing muscles now paralyzed, nor of the muscle nerves. He then urges, in this connection, how little use is the mere local excitement of the muscles, and the nerve branches that are among the muscle fibres, in all those cases where the excitement of the larger nerve trunks is in effect, at least for the time, utterly lost. On the other hand, he shows the real curative effects of localized Faradaic treatments in those cases where the excitability of the large nerves is truly diminished, but not en- tirely gone as in lead palsies, for here we find the excitability of the branches in the muscles quite gone. Even in some cases of " progressive muscular atrophy " he found the excitability of the nerve trunks less than the ultimate twigs that were in the mus- cles, although then far wasted by the progressive palsy. He here recommends, therefore, first of all, and in every case, to ascertain and define, for one's own mind, the exact amount of excitability of the nerve trunk, and then proceed to the restora- tion, now in this, and then in the central direction, as we may find indicated, or to give the best results. The degree and extent of the true electro-muscle excitement, according to the results of comparing trials, appear to be in proportion to the sum of the motory nerve branches or fibrils that are embraced by the current — i. e., that lie under, near to, and between, the electrodes. Dr. Remak interprets the weak or par- tial surface-workings of the electric current, from being applied along the course of the muscle fibres, as only the consequence of an excitement of the few superficial nerve twigs embraced, and which he terms " extra-muscular action;" while the deeper total muscle-workings of the current, which are produced when di- rected into the muscle by its largest nerve trunk, he terms " intra-muscidar action." Dr. Duchenne terms the former, as we have shown, immediate, or " direct, Faradaization;" and the latter, mediate, or " indirect, Faradaization," for, as we have also said, Duchenne believes in the Hallerian irritability. Remak believes that nerves are absolutely essential to muscular con- traction. Without giving details, I will say that it has been fairly demon-