Results of hemisection of the spinal cord in monkeys / by Frederick W. Mott ; communicated by Professor Schäfer.

  • Frederick Walker Mott
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Results of hemisection of the spinal cord in monkeys / by Frederick W. Mott ; communicated by Professor Schäfer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Sensation tested by pricking with a needle. The animal undoubtedly feels better on the right than on the left side; this was especially observed when the back was pricked. Heat test yielded the same results as before. From this date the animal began to regain some power in the right leg. 13th day.—The animal can now stand by catching hold of the wire-work of the cage with its hands. There is still some fluid collected which was let out. It has power in all the muscles of the right leg and foot although there is some enfeeblement. There is only slight voluntary power in the left leg, and occasionally bilateral flexion and extension of the hip and knee joints have been noticed. Temperature, right popliteal space 98°‘6 „ left „ „ 98°-4 Sensory tests yielded the same results as before. 23rd day.—The animal was kept amused with raisins, and sensation was tested by myself and Dr. Bradford. It was observed that the animal would stop eating and give unmistakeable signs of interrupted enjoyment when the right side was pricked, whereas it took little or no notice when the left side was pricked. The foot, the leg, the thigh, and the back were tested. The left leg still remains paralyzed, and the right somewhat enfeebled. 24th day.—Tested the sensibility of the animal with Professor Schafer and obtained the same result as on the previous day. 32nd day.—Tested sensibility with the faradic current; the animal undoubtedly felt better on the non-paralyzed side. 35th day.—Tested the animal with Dr. Sherrington; he came to the conclusion that the animal did not feel so well on the paralyzed side. The animal can now move the right leg well and hops about all over the cage, climbing the rope and running after the other a'nimals. There is, however, very little movement in the left leg; occasionally I noticed a bilateral associated flexion of the hip and knee joints. 43rd day.—Tested the sensibility at a meeting of the Physiological Society. Pricking and the hot water test demonstrated the fact that the animal felt much better on the non-paralyzed side. Mr. Horsley recommended me to try Schiff’s clamp test, which I have since found invaluable. 44th day.—A small pair of clip forceps was fixed on the skin of the foot, leg, and back, its attention being attracted by my assistant to pieces of apple, so that the animal did not see what was being done. It immediately removed the forceps on the non-paralyzed side. Now, as it did not see the forceps, it could only have become conscious of their presence by the skin sensations produced. When the same forceps were applied on the paralyzed side in similar situations, the animal took no notice, but went on uninterruptedly grabbing at pieces of apple .and raisins. The forceps were again applied to the right foot; the animal immediately ceased its efforts to obtain the fruit, and directed its attention to the cause of irritation, drawing up the right leg and pulling the forceps off with the right hand. On the paralyzed side the forceps were left on ten minutes without the animal taking any notice. I then removed them. 50th day.—Sensory tests yielded exactly the same results. Motor paralysis little or no improvement. 62nd day.—The animal occasionally seen to flex the hip, knee, and ankle joints of the left side, e.g.~ in climbing. Independent contraction of muscles of the left leg has not been observed, even when the animal was lying on its back between my assistant’s knees. Sensory tests yielded precisely the same results as on the last occasion. 84th day.—The animal shown at a meeting of the Physiological Society, and the clip test demonstrated. There is little more to be said about this animal, except that it remained alive until the 163rd day after the operation, when it was killed with chloroform. It regained very little power in the left limb, and sensation as tested by dipping the feet in hot water, by applying a test-tube containing hot water to the skin, by pricking with a
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