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

designate that form of paralysis spinal, in which, from whatever cause, the influence of the spinal marrow is severed. It is un- necessary to state, that in the latter case the influence of the cerehrum is removed, as well as that of the spinal marrow. " Before I proceed, I must take the opportunity of briefly allud- ing to the functions observed in the muscular system ; for it is these that arc variously affected in paralysis. The first function of the muscular system which I shall mention is voluntary mo- lion, the effect of volition: the second function, or rather affec- tion, of the muscular system, is the effect of emotion; the third is reflex action; the fourth is the lone of the muscular system : the fifth is the irritability of the muscular fibre. All these are wonderfully involved in every muscular act or action, though one may be principally so, and the affection of each becomes to the physiologist the source of diagnosis in cases of paralysis; for I may take this opportunity of stating, that in the diseases of the nervous system, the electro-physiology is the diagnosis of the case. " I will briefly detail the particulars of two cases, which may be taken as types of the rest. " The first was a case of hemiplegia, affecting the right side. The muscles of the right arm were paralytic, atrojihicd, con- tracted, and rigid. We placed both hands in one basin, contain- ing water with a little salt, and the foot in another, and we passed a galvanic current through the limbs so disposed, beginning with the smallest force which would produce an obvious movement. Invariably, in many trials, the paralytic arm was moved by the slighter, but the most by a greater force, whatever the direction of the current. " The second case was that of a little girl, aged two years and a half, in whom the left arm had been suddenly affected with complete paralysis nearly two years before ; the head having at the time of the seizure been drawn to one side, and the child being under the influence of dentition. In this case, the paral- ysis of muscular power was, as I have stated, complete; the arm was atrophied, the muscles flaccid, the hand moving on the wrist, and if held in the dependent position, absolutely uii-