Neuralgia.

Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Neuralgia. 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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    I 400 CHAMBERS’S EDINBURGH JOURNAL. be beneficial to the sufiering portion of hnmnnity; and ill this ‘ miscrablo world’ it is most probable that one- fourth part of our readers arc invalids. Why should they not have their little troubles, whims, and maladies studied and cared for ? The disease which gives a title to this short notice is perhaps one of the most myste- rious and vexatious to which our nature is liable ; both its cause and cure are equally occult, and its modus operandi is scarcely intelligible. A contemporary thus playfully alludes to the subject in terms more funny than precise‘ What is neuralgia ? A nervous spasm, the cause of which has, however, not been satisfactorily and conclusively demonstrated; but we may, perhaps, obtain a clearer view of its nature, if we look upon it as connected with “morbid nutrition.” Every one knows that the system is, or ought to be, constantly subject to a law of waste and rep.air; and if the operation of this law is impeded by “ cold,” “ mental excitement,” or any other baneful condition, diseases more or less unpleasant must ensue. The vis natural uses certain particles of matter in forming nerves; others in forming membrane, bones, juices, &c.; while used-up particles are expelled altogether from the system. We can readily conceive that each order of atoms is used by a distinct function, and has a difierent mission; and any morbid perversion or mingling of their separate destinies must end in disorder and suf- fering nature’s violent endeavour to restore the regularity of her operations. A cough is simply an effort of the lungs or bronchiae to remove some oflend- ing intruder that ought to be doing duty elsewhere; and may we not call neuralgia a cough of a nerve to get rid of a disagreeable oppression—nature’s legitimate coup cVetat to put down and transport those red socialist” particles that would interfere with the regu- larity of its constitution ? Let us fiincy, for a moment, a delicate little army of atoms marching obediently along, to form new nerve in place of the substance that is wLting away: another little army of carbonaceous particles have just received orders to pack up their luggage and be off, to make way for the advancing nerve-battalion; but in their exodus they are met by a fierce destro3’er, in the shape of an east wind a Caffre that suddenly throws the ranks of General Carbon into disorder, and driv^es them back upon the brilliant and pugnacious array of General Nerve: a battle-royal is the result. General Nerve immediately places lance in rest, and advances to the charge with the unsparing war-cry of: “Mr Eerguson, you don’t lodge here! ” and if Caffre East-wind is not despised and trifled with, he is generally beaten for a time ; but great are the sufferings of humanity—the scene of this encounter—while the fight is raging.’ Now comes the question: How to get rid of this cruel invader? Dr Downing has undertaken to give an answer, which we believe to be satisfactory. In ad- dition to the proper medical and hygienic treatment, which is carefully and ably stated in the work before us. Dr Downing has invented an apparatus which appears to be very efficacious; and we will therefore allow him to describe it in his own words:—‘From considering tic douloureux as often a local dise.ase, depending on a state of excessive irrit.abilitjq sensibi- lity, or spasm of .a particular nerve, and from reflecting upon its causes, and observing the effect of topical sedatives, I was led to the conclusion, that the most direct way of quieting this state was by the .application of warmth and sedative vapour to the part, so as to soothe the nerves, and calm them into regular action. For this purpose, I devised an apparatus which answers the purpose sufficiently well. It is a kind of fumi- g.ating instrument, in which dried herbs arc burned, and the heated vapour directed to any part of the bodv'. It is extremely simple in construction, and consists essentially of three parts with their media of connection —a cylinder for igniting the vegetable matter, bellows for maintaining a current of air tliroug the burning material, and tubes and cones for dircctin and concentrating the stream of vapour. The chit medicinal effects I have noticed in the use of thi instrument are those of a sedative character; but it remedial influence is not alone confined to the use ( certain herbs. A considerable power is attributabi to the warm current or intense heat generated. AVhe the vegetable matter is ignited, and a current of air made to pass through the burning mass, a small < great degree of heat can be produced at pleasur Thus, when the hand is gently pressed upon the be lows, a mild, warm stream of vapour is poured fort which may act as a douche to irritable parts; but b strongly and rapidly compressing the same receptacl the fire within the cylinder is urged like th:it of smith’s forge, and the blast becomes intensely hot an burning.’ Those who wish to know more of this mode of trea. ment, had better refer to the work itself. IVe mu; content ourselves with having simply drawn oi readers’ attention to it. ANCIENT GLACIERS IN THE LAKE COONTRV. Mr Robert CnAwnERS, in a recent tour of the lakes . Westmoreland (April 1852), has discovered that tt valleys of that interesting district were at one tinr occupied by glaciers. Glacialiscd surfaces were pn viously observed in a few places not far from Kcnda but without any conclusion as to the entire distric By ]\Ir Chambers conspicuous and unequivocal mi morials of ice-action have been found in most of tl great central valleys, such as those of Derwentwatc Ulles water. Thirl water, and Windermere. The prii cipal phenomena are rounded hummocks of rock c the skirts of the hills, and in the middle of the valleys and as these hummocks, wliatever may be the dire- tion of the valleys, invari.ably present a smootlu side up, and an abrupt side downwards {stoss-scile at ke-seite of the Scandinavian geologists), it becomes cc tain that the glaciers proceeding from the mountains the upper extremities were local to the sevcr.al valley The smoothed hummocks arc very notice.able in De wentwater or Borrowdale, the celebrated Bowderstoi resting on one; a particularly fine low surface appea at Grange, near the head of the lake. At Battcrdal in Ulleswater Valley, the rocks are so much mark, in this manner, that the whole place bears a strikii resemblance to the sterile parts of Sweden; and son small rocky islets, near the licad of the lake, arc unmi takable roches moutonndcs. The two valleys dcsccndii in opposite directions from Dunmail R:iise, have h: glaciers proceeding from some central point: in th of 'riiirlwatcr, the rounded hummocks arc conspicuo' at Armboth; in the other, ne.ar Grasmere, and near t’ Windermere Railway Station. In all these cases, t char.acteristic striation, or scratching produced on roc surfaces by glaciers, is more or less distinct, acconlii as the surface may have been protected in intcrnicdia ages. Where any drift or alluvial formation h covered it, the polish and striation .are as iwrfcct .w they had been formed in recent times, and the Im are almost invariably in the gcner.al direction of t valley. I’rintpd nn.t I’ublifhrd bv W. and R. CiiAMaras Ilijrh stre ^ j!dinbur|{h. Alao n)U1 by W. S. Ouk, Amen Corner, ; N CuAMnKn.n, 5.^ West Nile Street, Gltt.«gow ; and J. M (5'-^ 50 Upper SackviUe Street, l)ublin.^Adverti?emenLi for Mnntl PiirtR lire rcQucAtcil to Imj sent to Maxa^et.t. & Co.^^ * lAine, Ixnnbald Street, Ix>ndon, to whom all applications respc ing their Insertion must be made.