Injuries of nerves and their consequences - Reflex Sympathetic ...

VARIETIES OF MECHAXICAL INJURIES OF NERVES. 97
At the fifth mouthl was able to resort to
to use hypodermic injections of one-eighth grain of sulphate
of morphia with one-±iftieth grain of sulphate of
atropia. ITnder this treatment, emplo^'cd daily, she lost
all pain, except when the arm was moved. I made two
efforts to faradise the deltoid, but each time caused increase
of pain.
the battery, under the use of which the muscle gained
bulk and power very rapidly. After twenty sittings, she
could raise the arm outward to an angle of 43°.
A year afterwards Mrs. K. had an attack of inflammatory
rheumatism, which left her with distressing neuralgia
of the ulnar distribution chiefly,
and w^ith some weakness
of the forearm.
This attack was treated by leeching, blistering tender
points in the nerve, and absolute rest of the member, a
measure which I have sometimes found of the utmost
value. The arm finally remained feeble, and the pain
is
now, a year later, so rare and so slight as to give but little
annoyance.
A very interesting case of contusion of the ulnar nerve
common palsy caused by
will be found among the cases at the close of the chapter
on Treatment.
—
Injuries to nerves from dislocations or their reduction. One
of the most interestino- forms of contusion is that of the
axillary plexus in certain dislocations of the humerus. In
considering: this accident, it will be convenient at the same
time to treat of the less
the reduction
of the displaced bone, and due most probably to
laceration or stretchino: of a nerve more or less fixed or
anchored by inflammatory processes in the surrounding
parts.
Some slight degree of nervous disturbance is liable to
show itself upon the reduction of any old dislocation of
the head of the humerus into the axilla. I have seen several
such patients, whose arms had been replaced by the