File:A treatise on the diseases of the nervous system (1881) (14591029350).jpg

Identifier: treatiseond00hamm (find matches)
Title: A treatise on the diseases of the nervous system
Year: 1881 (1880s)
Authors: Hammond, William Alexander, 1828-1900
Subjects: Nervous system
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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hat theflexor muscles had become much shortened, and the skin in the groinsand popliteal spaces was tense and unyielding. The accompanyingwoodcut (Fig. 37) shows the positions of the legs and arm at this time.Under these circumstances I requested the advice of my friend Prof.L. A. Say re, and after consultation it was determined to divide thetendons of the tensor vaginas femoris, the sartorius, the gracilis, andthe biceps, on each side. When this was done by Prof. Sayre, thepatient being under chloroform, careful but powerful efforts at exten-sion were made, and the skin in the popliteal space on both sides wasnecessarily torn, owing to its contraction and inelasticity ; the limbswere thus brought into a state of complete extension, and, by a systemof weights and pulleys similar to that used in Bucks fracture apparatus,they were kept in this position. The patient was, however, too weakto endure the fatigue of the necessary extension and confinement. He 452 DISEASES OF THE SPINAL CORD.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 37. SPINAL MENINGITIS. 453 took off the weights whenever they caused pain or great uneasiness.To add to the difficulties, a large bed-sore formed on the right buttock,and the strength of the patient declined so rapidly that, in order tosave his life, the apparatus had to be entirely removed. He rapidly re-covered, but, as cicatrization went on, the limbs again became con-tracted, and in the course of two or three months were as bad as ever.Pain in the back soon afterward supervened, the legs and one armbegan to be affected with spasms, and the paralysis also returned. Arenewal of the former medication again caused relief, and the patienthas to this da,y remained free from any spinal disease, though his legsare still contracted. This is the third case of cure referred to as hap-pening in my experience. For the cure of the bed-sores the method recommended by Dr.Brown-Sequard may be used. It consists in the alternate applicationof sponges, one of which is saturated with hot water an

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