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

TREATMENT. 309
was good throughout, that is, complete, but feeble. Sensation
was nowhere absent, so that the gain must have
been remarkable.
Ever since the wound bes^an to heal he has had crreat
and increasing pain and numbness in the foot. These
feelings seem to arise just above the wound, and to run
and in
down to the toes. The pain is darting, pricking,
the foot burning, with redness and oedema, which are
made worse by heat, dependence of foot, etc. There are
slight eczematous patches on the foot the scar is
; hard,
and when pressed upon causes pain down the leg. Bending
the leg at the knee and turning it inward, relieves
the pain, which seems to have some relation to the cicatrix.
There are no notable trophic changes, the calves
differing by only the fourth of an inch.
This condition was treated by frequent passive movements,
by kneading the scar, by hot and cold douches,
and finally by faradisation, to improve the enfeebled
muscles. Under these means the pain ceased, and he
improved so as to be able to go on guard duty, October
29, 1863.
Case 54.— Wound of right sciatic nerve; imralysis of extensors
of foot ; partial paralysis of flexors of foot a7\d toes ; incomplete
anesthesia offoot ; slight analgesia ; intense causalgia ;^
twitching of the toes. Peter C. K., Pennsylvania, aged
twenty-four, enlisted August, 1861, Company D, 48th
Pennsylvania Volunteers; health good. August 29, 1862,
he was shot through the right thigh a little above its
middle. The ball went behind the femur, passing from
without inward, and probably wounding the sciatic
nerve. He felt a sudden intense pain and numbness of
the foot, and leaped in the air. lie hopped to a shelter,
was taken to the rear, had his wounds dressed, and was
then left on the field, where he says he lay seven days
without food, but with enough of water. lie was then