MASSAGE IN SPRAINS AND DISLOCATIONS. 385 



at Bonn, injected corresponding joints of rabbits with Indian ink. 

 Witb each rabbit he masseed one of the joints at regular inter- 

 vals, and left the same joint in the other limb untouched. The 

 swelling and stiffness caused by the injection rapidly disappeared 

 under massage, and on examination of the masseed joint after 

 the animal was killed it was found empty of its colored con- 

 tents. Even when the examination was made shortly after the 

 injection and the use of massage, there was scarcely any ink 

 found in the joint; part of it was found upon the synovial 

 membrane, and upon microscopical examination it was seen that 

 the greatest part of it had been forced into and penetrated 

 through the synovial membrane. The darkened lymphatics could 

 even be seen with the unaided eye extending from the injected 

 joint to the lymphatic glands in the groin or axilla, and these 

 latter were also black from the absorption of the ink. Upon ex- 

 amination of the joint cavities that had not been rnasseed, the 

 ink was found in the joint, mixed with the synovia, forming a 

 smeary mass, and it had not even penetrated the tissue of the 

 synovial membrane. The same results were uniformly obtained 

 in all the experiments, showing that absorption takes place from 

 joint cavities by means of lymph spaces and small openings com- 

 municating with lymphatic vessels, and through these with lym- 

 phatic glands. 



But by far the most interesting experiments yet performed 

 to elucidate the effects of massage on joints, muscles, and nerves 

 are those described at length in the Archives generates de Mede- 

 cine for 1891 and 1892. Having obtained excellent results from 

 massage in bruises of joints and muscles, in sprains and disloca- 

 tions, and also in fractures, some of which were masseed from 

 the commencement of the injury when there was no displace- 

 ment, and others where there was displacement, after a fixed 

 dressing had been applied as short a time as possible to keep the 

 parts in place, M. Castex sought further opportunities to study 

 more exactly the results of these injuries by intentionally pro- 

 ducing them in corresponding places in two limbs of dogs, mas- 

 seing the seat of one of these injuries and letting the other alone, 

 and after five or six months killing the animals and examining 

 the tissues that had been hurt under the microscope. He always 

 chose the more injured limb for treatment and the other had no 

 massage, but was left to the natural evolutions of the injuries. 

 The effects, immediate, consecutive, and remote, were carefully 

 noted by experts in laboratory work, who were not told which 

 leg had been masseed. The experiments were done in the lab- 

 oratory of Prof. Richet. The massage was done either imme- 

 diately or very soon after the injuries — even in the case of the 

 dislocations, as soon as they were set — and always with marked 



VOL. XLIX. — 32 



