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

364 INJURIES OF NERVES.
biceps began to twitch, and finally union was only attained
by bandaging the limb iirraly.
From that time the arm
was constantly subject to spasms, which jerked
it forward
with clocklike regularity and with great force. When
an eflbrt was made to secure the stump to his side, the
movements attacked the shoulder, but ceased when the
stump was set free. There was also slight twitching of
the left facial muscles, and occasionally some irregularity
in the vocal muscles, causing him to speak with
difficulty.
The general health was good, but memory
was defective, and the man, who was a mendicant, was
unwilling to take the chance of relief which division of
the neural supply of the biceps seemed to offer. The
motions ceased at night. I understood that he had
had a great variety of fruitless treatment, and his arm
showed sio:ns of some of it. The following case was
more satisfactory as a history. I have already had occasion
to allude to it.
Case 68.— Gunshot wound of right wrist;
immediate amputation
; choreal affection of muscles of the stump of the light
forearm and of the shoidder. Colonel J. G-. P., aged fortyone,
139th Pennsylvania Volunteers, an officer of high
character, in good health up to the date of wound, was
shot, June 3, 1864, through the right wrist with a slug.
He became at once singularly excited, and felt as if he
were crazed. Under the sudden influence of these sensations,
he ran along the line of his
regiment, only half
conscious, until he fell senseless, having gone about fifty
feet. Within a few minutes he revived, and was assisted
to a hospital near by, where Dr. Chapin, surgeon of the
regiment, amputated his forearm at the junction of the
lower and middle thirds.
Colonel P. never remained in bed, but continued in
active service while the wound healed. This process was
over about September 20, 1864. At this date some one