On the medical use of galvanisation and faradisation / by Julius Althaus, M.D., member of the Royal College of Physicians; fellow of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society; senior physician to the Infirmary for Epilepsy and Paralysis.

  • Althaus, Julius, 1833-1900
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the medical use of galvanisation and faradisation / by Julius Althaus, M.D., member of the Royal College of Physicians; fellow of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society; senior physician to the Infirmary for Epilepsy and Paralysis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/76 (page 15)
    had so far yielded that the application of forty cells of the battery was all he could comfortably bear, while at first the current of a hundred cells had appeared to him ‘ like nothing.’ From beginning with the latter number, I gradually came down to fifteen cells, which were distinctly felt when I discontinued the galvanism. The patient being anxious to resume his avocations, I put him on a course of nitrate of silver, in order to guard him against a relapse ; and I lately heard that he had remained in good working condition ever since. Hysterical Paralysis. This form of paralysis, which occurs almost exclusively after mental shock and emotion, in girls and women whose sensibility is unusually acute, may attack a few muscles only, or an entire limb, or the whole body. It frequently assumes the form of paraplegia, but hysterical hemiplegia is by no means uncommon. Hysterical paralysis is altogether a functional disorder, and in no way connected with structural lesions in the nervous centres, the peripheral nerves or the muscles. Many of these cases may be cured by Galvanisa¬ tion or Faradisation, whilst some are extremely stubborn. Case YIII.—A girl, aged 19, living at Kilburn, became an out¬ patient at the Samaritan Free Hospital in September, 1864, and was sent to me by Dr. Savage. She had always been in indifferent health, and during the last three years had gradually lost the power over her arms and legs, to such an extent that she was scarcely able to walk even when supported, and entirely incapacitated from doing any work whatever. The cause of the affection was said to be due to “ some trouble ” she had had. She first menstruated at 15 years of age, but was always irregular the discharge being very pale and scanty. Six¬ teen months ago the catamenia ceased altogether, and from that time she became nearly idiotic. She was very listless when I first saw her, had a vacant look, and considerable dilatation of both pupils, more espe¬ cially of the left one. The left iris was scarcely at all influenced even by strong light. The voice was almost entirely gone ; she could only speak in a faint whisper. She was frequently troubled by pain in the head and the back. Her hands and feet were always quite cold. She complained of sickness in the morning, total want of appetite, and constipated bowels. She was always worse after emotions, and had frequently had hysterical fits. The muscles were very badly nourished, but contracted tolerably well under the influence of the electro-mag-