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

TREATxMENT. 265
Ordered the patient to be etherized every day, and the
adhesions to be forcibly broken. Passive motion to be
continued, and the limbs to be faradised daily.
The future progress was inconceivably rapid.
On January 20th, he could rise to his feet, and by February
20th, could walk a few steps.
March 20th, walks
the left hand alone has not
well without a cane or any aid ;
gained to any great extent, although the malposition
has been, much relieved. The patient was discharged
in March, slightly shuffling in his walk, but with nearly
entire use of all his limbs, except the left hand and
forearm.
Treatment of lesions of sensation; ancesihesia. — As with
motion, so with sensation, we shall often find that tracts
of skin which soon after the wounding are devoid of feeling,
recover function within a few days. Where, however,
time enough has elapsed for nerve repair, and
sensation is still lessened or lost, we have but few means
of treatment to which it is worth while to resort, beyond
the general measures employed, to sustain in the limb its
nutritive life. Faradisation of the dry skin is the most
efficient method of relief.
The batteries generally used are of insufficient strength
when we desire to awaken sensation in parts apparently
devoid of all feeling. With a strong induced secondary
current the electric brush is the most violent of all the
use it is common to find
excitants of the skin which do not disorganize its structures,
and under its repeated
sensation returning to regions which are deficient in
every form of sensory life, so that after two or three
sittings even far slighter impressions can be felt.*
* The finer the wires tlie more severe is the stimulation. I have frequently
improvised an excellent brush by fraying out the threads of a
conducting cord which contains a number of fine wires.
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