Neuralgia of the inferior maxillary nerve / by John Lizars.

  • John Lizars
Date:
[1821]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Neuralgia of the inferior maxillary nerve / by John Lizars. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    several French authors of the present day, should consider neuralgia true phlegmon or phlegmasia of the nerves. Chaus- sier describes it as consisting of pulsations, lancinations, and tear¬ ing or dragging pains, without any other inflammatory symptom either before or after the paroxysm. He and his followers state, that there is no redness or increase of heat in the soft parts. They only allow, that sometimes the skin is affected with tume¬ faction, and a light colour. Such an assemblage of symptoms never can authorize the appellation of phlegmon; otherwise, we must remodel those characterizing phlegmon. Rousset, who is of the same opinion with Chaussier, and who dissected a case of sciatica in the Hotel Dieu, mentions that the enve¬ lope of the nerve was a little relaxed, and that the veins of it were varicose, but that no other appearance was manifest. Cap¬ tain G-, the subject of the well marked case related by the late celebrated John Bell in his volume on Tumors, died last winter, and I had the good fortune to dissect him. Sixteen years ago I was present when Mr Bell cut the infra-orbitary nerve of the left side; but since that time, the supra-orbitary and mental nerves of the same side had also been cut. In the dissection, the supra-orbitary was first examined; the nerve both before and after the division appeared perfectly natural. The point of division was white and dense like cartilage, and formed a considerable mass of substance, somewdiat in resem¬ blance to a ganglion, such as the semilunar. The infra-orbita¬ ry presented a similar appearance: at the foramen, there was a quantity of this white dense matter ; but the twigs of the nerve quite natural, were distinct beyond this point, and were evident¬ ly connected with it. Precisely the same was observed at the mental foramen. Of the reunion of a nerve there cannot be the least doubt, after the experiments of Haighton and Swan, what¬ ever may be the opinion of Richerand. One man often can ac¬ complish what another cannot.—44 They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea. ” Taking advantage then of all that has been written on the sub¬ ject, it appears to me that neuralgia is a disease of a nerve wherein the sensibility of its extreme twigs are morbidly in¬ creased; so that, by the slightest irritation, this may become excruciatingly agonizing, and the parts supplied with the nerve be violently convulsed. 44 Ail the pains of the body, ” says the illustrious Darwin, 44 may be divided into those from excess of motion, and those from defect of motion ; which distinction is of great importance in the knowledge and the cure of many dis¬ eases. For, as the pains from excess of motion either gradual¬ ly subside, or are in general succeeded by inflammation; so fhose from defect of motion either gradually subside, or are in