"School" lateral curvature / by Henry O. Feiss.

  • Feiss, Henry O.
Date:
[1905?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: "School" lateral curvature / by Henry O. Feiss. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ‘“School’’ Lateral Curvature BY HENRY O. FEISS, M. D., CLEVELAND The spine is a flexible column divided into three curves: the highest or cervical is a convex curve forward, the next, the thoracic, is concave forward, and the lowest is like the lumbar, convex forward. These curves are to be regarded as the effect vt balancing. They are attained by shifting the trunk into antero- posterior equilibrium and are maintained chiefly by muscular action. In early infancy this muscular activity is not present and the child is not able to sit up, but as he grows, voluntary power comes into the muscles and the child learns to sit and finally to stand up. Jater the whole action of balancing and maintain- ing the curves of the spine becomes an involuntary one. By lateral curvature we understand a constant deviation of 5 the spinal column or any part of it from the median line of the body. It is an asymmetry which is constant. There are various types classified according to their predisposing causes. We have the congenital type which is rare, the rachitic type due to rickets, the paralytic type arising from paralysis of muscles on one side or the other, the static type which is due to inequality of the legs, that type which follows diseases, and of the greatest importance—- the type due to occupation. It is the occupation type that comes under our present notice. We have seen that the normal curves of the spine are maintained as a result of balancing. The maintenance of tthese normal curves may serve as an analogy of the maintenance of abnorma! Presented at a gathering of teachers of Physical Hducation of the Cleveland Public Schools, February 4, 1905
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