NEURALGIA 



NEUSTRIA 



449 



The causes of neuralgia are various. Excluding 

 inflammation of the nervous trunk or neuritis, the 

 pain may be excited by a tumour pressing on the 

 nerve or originating in its substance, or by rough- 

 in'-s of a bony surface with which the nerve may 

 be in contact, as when it passes through a foramen. 

 Sometimes, again, irritation applied to one branch 

 of a nerve will give rise to pain at the extremity of 

 another branch of the same nerve, the sensation 

 being reflected along the branch which is not 

 directly exposed to the irritation. Tims, facial 

 neuralgia very frequently dejiends upon diseased 

 conditions of the teeth, even if they themselves are 

 not painful. In this way we may explain the pain 

 in the shoulder which often accompanies disease of 

 the liver ; the pain in the thigh, which is often 

 associated with irritation of the kidney ; the pain 

 in the left arm, which is often coincident with 

 disease of the heart, &c. Persons wittering from 

 debility, an.-emia, and a gouty or rheumatic con- 

 stitution are so especially liable to neuralgia that 

 these conditions, as also exposure to malarious in 

 fluences, must be placed among the predisposing 

 causes. Amongst the exciting causes exposure to 

 cold and wet, or to a cold dry east wind, is the 

 mo<t frequent ; but fatigue, strong mental emotions, 

 the abuse of tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcoholic 

 drinks, a wound or bruise, the retrocession of gout, 

 rheumatism, or cutaneous eruptions, &c. occasion- 

 ally suffice to excite the disease. 



The resources of the materia incdica have l>een 

 exhausted in searching for remedies for this cruel 

 di-eose. But, in the first place, a careful search 

 must be made for any possible local source of irrita- 

 tion ; and next, ' hygienic conditions must be very 

 carefully attended to; fresh air, regular liodily 

 exercise, freedom from worry and overstrain of 

 mind, plenty of sleep, an abundant supply of whole- 

 some nourishment, are each essential (Fagge). 

 Fatty food, as coil-liver oil, butter, cream, is of 

 .1.1 importance. 



Of drugs which give immediate relief to the pain, 

 morphia, especially when administered livpodermi- 

 cally (see HYPODERMIC INJECTION"), holds the first 

 place. But it must lie used with great caution, and 

 not entrusted to the patient himself, lest a 'morphia 

 habit' become established. Antipvrin and exalgin, 

 coal-tar derivatives recently introduced into medi- 

 cine, sometimes take the place of morphia, and are 

 free from some of its disadvantages, C'roton-chloral 

 and gelsemium areoft"ii MfeTfal facial neuralgia. 

 Kelief from the suffering is often the first step 

 towards recovery. 



But in most cases some treatment is necessary 

 to remove the constitutional state on which t lie 

 neuralgia depends. Iron, quinine (especially when 

 the pain recurs at regular intervals ), arsenic, phos- 

 phorus, chloride of ammonium, are the medicines 

 most generally useful. But the treatment must 

 of course be adapted to the disorders, frequently 

 digestive, present in each particular case. 



Local applications can lie of no permanent service 

 in cases where the pain results from organic change, 

 or from general constitutional causes ; they will, 

 however, often give considerable temporary relief. 

 Amongst the most important local applications may 

 be mentioned laudanum, tincture of aconite or 

 aconitina ointment, belladonna-plaster, and chloro- 

 form (which should be applied upon a piece of linen 

 saturated with it, and covered with oiled silk to 

 prevent evaporation), mustard leaves or poultices, 

 and small fly-blisters. Galvanism is also valuable. 



Lastly, neuralgia, being a purely nervous affec- 

 tion, is often influenced by means calculated to 

 make a strong impression on the mind of the 

 patient ; and hence it is that galvanic rings, electric 

 chains, mesmeric passes, and other applications 

 which, like these, act more upon the mind than 

 341 



upon the body of the patient, occasionally effect a 

 cure. 



In cases which have resisted all other modes of 

 treatment, surgical measures are sometimes neces- 

 sary viz. acupuncture, nerve-stretching (see under 

 SCIATICA), or, in the last resort, removal of a 

 portion of the affected nerve. 



Neuritis, a term applied to inflammation of the 

 nerves. The disease is not very common, and not 

 very well defined. The .symptoms are those of 

 neuralgia, with impairment of sensation, or local- 

 ised paralysis, according as sensory or motor nerves 

 are affected. 



Neiiroptcra. See INSECTS. 



NeilsatZ, a town in the Hungarian province of 

 Biics, on the left bank of the Danube, opposite 

 Peterwardein (q.v.). Pop. (1890)24,717. 



XeilSiedler Lake, a small lake on the north- 

 west frontier of Hungary, 22 miles SE. of Vienna. 

 It is shallow (13 feet), and has lost much of its 

 former area (133 sq. m.) by the draining of the 

 adjoining marshes from 1805 to 1870 it was dry. 

 Its brackish waters are valuable as medicinal 

 baths. 



11SS. an ancient manufacturing town of 

 Rhenish Prussia, near the left bank of the Rhine, 

 4 miles W. of IJiisseldorf by rail. Its church of St 

 Quirinus, a notable specimen of the transition from 

 the round to the pointed style, was founded in 

 1209. Neuss has flourishing ironworks, foundries, 

 flour and iron mills, and manufactures of cottons, 

 woollens, leather, paper, chicory, &c. Pop. (1875) 

 15,563 ; ( 1885) 20,036 ; ( 1895) 2.",.ip-_'ii. 



\rustadt. a town of Prussian Silesia, 25 miles 

 S\V. of Op|>eln. It is the seat of considerable 

 industry, woollen and linen fabrics and carpets 

 lieing the staple manufactures. Pop. ( 1875) 12,515 ; 

 (1885) 16,093 ; (1895) 19,243.' 



ustadt. or WiEXEH-NEUSTADT, one of the 

 most beautiful towns of Lower Austria, is situated 

 32 miles S. of Vienna by rail. The town is over 

 looked by the large old castle of the Dukes of 

 Babenlx-rg, now a military academy. The castle 

 contains a fine Gothic chapel (1460), rich in 

 painted windows; it is the burial-place of the 

 Emperor Maximilian I. The old church dates from 

 1230, and was restored in 1890; a Cistercian iihbey 

 (1444) and a town-house are notable buildings. 

 Locomotives and machinery, wire, bells, pottery, 

 starch, leather, and ribbons are amongst the manu- 

 factures. The city, called ' the Ever-faithful,' was 

 founded in 1192, and WHS rebuilt after a great tire 

 in 1834. Pop. 23,735. 



Xeustadt-aii-dcr-Ilardt. a town of Rhenish 

 Bavaria, at the foot of the Hardt Mountains, 20 

 miles \V. of Spires. Its church, with several 

 curious monuments, dates from the 14th century. 

 It manufactures paper, cloth, soap, wine, brandy, 

 &c. Pop. (1885) 12,255; (1890) 15,016. 



NeilStrelitz, capital of the grand-duchy of 

 Mecklenburg -Strelitz, pleasantly situated in a 

 hilly district, between two lakes, 62 miles NXW. 

 of Berlin. Founded in 1733, it is built in the 

 form of an eight-rayed star, and contains the ducal 

 palace, with magnilicent gardens. Pop. 9366. 



Neiistria, the name given in the times of the 

 Merovingians and Carlovingians to the western 

 portion of the Frank empire, after the quadruple 

 division of it which took place in 511. Neustiia 

 contained three of these divisions. It extended 

 originally from the mouth of the Scheldt to the 

 Loire, and was bounded by Aquitania on (lie 

 S., and by Burgundy and Austrasia (Francia 

 Oi-irntalis) on the E. The principal cities were 

 Soissons, Paris, Orleans, and Tours. See the 

 historical maps at EUROPE. 



