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

when the dorsal portion of the cord is injured, the muscles ram- ified by the nerves that take their origin from that injured por- tion of the spine present spinal paralysis; while the muscles that receive their nerves from any portion of the spine which is below the seat of the injury or lesion, will show ns a cerebral paralysis; and that because they are merely separated or cut off from the influence of volition, although the affected muscles still remain in their functional relation with the spinal cord. Traumatic paralysis may arise from injury, as severing or crush- ing' of the nerve, concussion of joints, or from sprains, or par- tial luxations. Paralysis produced by pressure on the axillary plexus of nerves is not of very uncommon occurrence. Frequent exam- ples are seen. Dr. Todd says, " I have seen some cases in which this was produced in the following way : A man gets intoxicated and falls asleep, with his arms, say over the back of a chair; his sleep, under the influence of his potations, is so heavy that he is not roused by any feelings of pain or uneasiness, and when at length lie awakes, perhaps at the expiration of some hours, he finds the arm benumbed and paralyzed. It generally happens that the sensibility is restored after a short time, but the palsy of motion continues. Cases of this kind often derive benefit from galvanism ; but if the pressure which caused the paralysis has been long continued, then they seldom come to a favorable termination. Nerve tiss\ie is one which never regenerates quickly, and seldom completely; so that any great or long- continued lesion of its structure is not likely to be completely removed." The same high authority gives the following as another exam- ple : " This patient is twenty-three years of age; has lived in London, and his right clavicle was broken by an old wall falling upon him. He went to a hospital, (not King's College Hos- pital,) and the ordinary figure-of-eight bandage was applied. After a time the patient found his right hand and arm were numb ; and soon after this he noticed a great loss of power of the extensors of the hand. Notwithstanding these symptoms, the bandage was still allowed to remain, and both the paralysis of