On spinal weakness and spinal curvatures, their early recognition and treatment / by W.J. Little.

Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On spinal weakness and spinal curvatures, their early recognition and treatment / by W.J. Little. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    and loins, even when not having to contend with gravitv, are incapable of overcoming the habit which some of the vertobi'se have already acquii'ed of constantly bulging from their proper relation to the remainder of the column. The posterior liga- ments of this part of the column have become elongated, and the form of the bones has already become accommodated during growth to the habitually bad position of the column. In thfise cases, there is no question of the existence of any actual stru- mous or other disease of the bodies of the vertebrga themselves. It may, however, be a question whether these infantile cases of posterior yielding of the column lead sometimes to Pott's disease and angular curvature. These cases of infantile posterior curvature occur in those who have been born weak; in those who have been imjier- fectly nourished, from deficiency of breast-milk or other causes ; in those, especially, whose artificial food has been prepared with water instead of with milk,—whose tissues are, conse- quently, deficient in physical and vital power,—so that the ordinary tendency of nurses to encourage the premature sitting up of the child ends in producing a yielding backwards of the spine, which is more than temporary—in many instances, a veritable deformity. Sometimes the above predis]Dosing, debilitating causes cannot be traced, and it is evident that the mischief owes its origin simply to the nurse's habit of sitting the chUd up. For the most part, a sound, well-nom'ished child, in spite of injudicious nursing, passes this period of its life without spinal injury; but it may be well to insist, that the strongest back is reared, other things being equal, where the infant has never been sat up, but has been allowed to do so when its OAvn instinctive sense of power has actuated it. Hence the value of the infant not being allowed to live, as it were, in the nurse's lap or arms ; but its growth being permitted to go on unhindered, during as many hours of the day and night as possible, on a level, firm cot, couch, or floor; warmly, adequately, but loosely clothed. How often is the physician
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