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

278 INJURIES OF NERVES.
Electric test.— Below the shoulder no muscle has any
electric contractility, and the sensibility to induced currents
is also diminished. Again the electricity brought
on the burning, and was abandoned.
Ordered daily etherization, and the fingers to be then
freely moved. Shampooing to be continued, and the
douche twice a da}',
with occasional blisters.
January 29, 1864.— Electricity no longer renews the
burning, and is to be daily emploj'ed. The gain Avas now
rapid. Flexor power over the fingers came back, but no
extension and no thumb motion.
February
— 23d. Supination and pronation improving.
Atrophy lessening. Ordered bandage roller to be placed
in the palm, the fingers to be bound down over it, to overcome
the extensors, which, within a month, have been
contracting.
On April 10, 1864, he was discharged, free of pains
and having only three-fourths flexion of the fingers, without
power to extend them. All the other motions were
improving, and the thumb muscles began to respond to
the will. Sensation perfect.
The following case, which occurred recently in the
practice of Dr. W. W. Keen, is a striking
value of blisters in causalgia
:
instance of the
Co.se 45.— Wound of musculo-s'piral nerve. Dr. "W. "VV.,
in 1855, received a ball through the arm, which injured
the triceps and biceps and the musculo-spiral nerve.
The
wound healed readilj^ The patient thus describes his
condition at the present time, March, 1871 : "Numbness
on back arm,— of more numb on back of hand, thumb,
fore and little finger. The thumb and little finger can
be but slightly extended, and the latter stands ott" from
the ring-finger and cannot be adducted. The arm motions
were feeble for several years, and are not yet fully
restored. Nutrition much impaired, the shoulder flattened.