Sequel to paper on Three cases of Raynaud's disease, Clin. Trans., vol. xvi, p. 179 / by Thomas Barlow.

  • Barlow, Thomas, Sir, 1845-1945
Date:
[1885]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sequel to paper on Three cases of Raynaud's disease, Clin. Trans., vol. xvi, p. 179 / by Thomas Barlow. 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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    to show his wife how to shampoo the feet, and this was done daily by either the patient or his wife till the end of May. He was then dismissed and told to show himself again in October, 1884. At the latter date he was free from pain and his feet, though not plump, were moderately nourished, and were only a little colder and bluer than natural. He could walk well and do his work. To these cases I may add two others, perhaps allied, but I think not strictly coming under the category of Raynaud’s disease. The first was that of a little girl who had a deep cyanosis of both lower limbs extending nearly up to the knee. The affection was not paroxysmal and was not attended with pain. The child had always had a feeble circulation, but the condition had become greatly aggravated shortly before she came under my care. There was no morbus cordis to be made out and the only other noteworthy clinical feature was the occurrence of some ill-defined epileptoid attacks followed by some paresis of the lower limbs. It was for one of these attacks that the child was brought to the hospital. The daily use of the constant current, applied alternately by “painting” and by means of the bath, was followed by very marked benefit to the cyanotic condition of the limbs. The child’s legs were also shampooed, but there could be no doubt about the benefit of the galvanism to the local condition and she expressed herself as more comfortable after every application and walked much better. The other case was that of a middle-aged woman who had severe tinglings and pains in both hands, and a condition some- thing like “ dead fingers.” The pains often kept her awake at night, and this and the numbness from which she suffered had seriously interfered with her work as a needlewoman. There was no actual lividity, but the fingers were of a pale leaden colour, also there were no definite paroxysmal attacks. My assistant, Mr. Roberts, galvanised her several times weekly for more than two months with very great benefit, bhe was taught to rub her fingers systematically at home and to use alternate hot and cold water douches, but she herself was emphatic as to the comfort that galvanism gave her. In her case as in some others the curious fact was noted that certain fingers (symmetrical on the two sides) were more affected than others and that in the healthy glow which followed any given application of galvanism certain fingers became pink sooner than the others. To sum up, although the observations which I have 2 nar-