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

REMOTE SYMPTOMS. 161
moved without enemata. Urine is
passed with difficulty,
and for some years has occasionally required the use of a
catheter; it is cloudy, from deposits of urates, aud very
rarely uric acid sediment; it is always acid; the average
specific gravity of four specimens of mixed urine of the
whole day was 1025 ;
no albumen or sugar was present.
Tubercle in left lung, cough, and hectic. These are symptoms
only of the last five months. Nutrition— general
wasting. The great-toes were subject to occasional ulcers
at their angles during the first two years of her malady.
The index, medius, and ring fingers on each hand have a
disease of the matrix of the nails, resulting in a thinning
and irregular growth of the nails without incurvation.
The affection of the teeth is very curious. They were
formerly regular, white, of even length, and touching one
another. They are now very unequal in length, and
diverge from one another, so that the space of four lines
exists between the two anterior upper incisors. They all
seem to be turned more or less on their long axes, and all
are of a deep yellow, despite the most assiduous care. I
should add that none are loose.
I do not know that I can
full}^ describe the curious appearance presented by this
patient's mouth. It strongly impressed me with the idea
that there had been disease of the alveolar sockets, something
akin to that which is met with in the matrices of
certain diseased nails.
My patient died in November, 1865. To my regret no
post-mortem examination could be had.
— Alterations of the cutaneous appendages. The nails and
hair undergo very curious changes consequent upon nerve
wounds. After total section the nails are apt to become
clubbed, and, in rare cases, to suft'er from painless whitlow.
I am unable to say whether or not nail growth is
for a time arrested immediately after the section of the
nerve ;
but in most of these cases it is found at a later