42 LOCALIZED ELECTRIZATION. 



arrested me at the beginning of my researches. If it he true that 

 we can concentrate the electric force in a muscle, is it also certain 

 that the resulting excitation ivill not itself produce the phenomena 

 called reflex, hy reacting u/pon the nervous centres ? In other tvords, 

 is it not to he feared that the electrization of a muscle may provoke not 

 merely its own contraction, hut also that of other muscles ? If it had 

 been so, I should certainly have renounced my idea as a chimera, 

 and all the researches that I owe to its realization would have to 

 be recommenced. The following experiments have convinced me 

 that the reflex action of the cord does not disturb the muscular 

 phenomena j^troduced by localized electrization : — 



First exjyeriment. — Having removed the skin from the face of a living rabbit, 

 I divided the facial nerve of one side only, in order that the muscles supplied 

 by it might be cut off from all connection with the cord. I then applied 

 electric excitation to each muscle of the face, alternately on the two sides. 

 The muscles contracted separately, and equally on both sides. 



Second experiment. — I then destroyed the brain of the same animal, in order 

 to place the cord in a condition favourable to the production of reflex action, 

 and again excited the muscles as before. The results were absolutely the 

 same. 



A similar experiment on the muscles of the lower limbs, after having excised 

 a portion of one of the sciatic nerves, produced similar results. 



Third experiment. — After having decapitated a number of frogs, I destroyed 

 the si)inal cord in some, leaving it intact in others. In all these frogs I threw 

 individual muscles into contraction, even the little muscles of each claw, 

 without any mingling, even in those with spinal cord unhurt, of the least con- 

 traction due to reflex excitement. 



Fourth experiment. — "V^Tien in the human subject we compare the contrac- 

 tion of the muscles of a perfectly antesthetic limb with those of a limb in 

 which sensation is perfect, we do not discover any difference between the two, 

 as regards the manner in wliich the muscles respond to localized faradization. 

 In both, each muscle contracts singly. 



Fifth experiment. — In cases of cerebral hemiplegia (a condition favourable 

 to the production of reflex jDhenomena) localized faradization produces isolated 

 contractions as certainly on the diseased side as on the healtliy one. 



I may add that, in all my experiments upon men and animals, I have made 

 single muscles and single fasciculi contract with as much facility and cer- 

 tainty as when acting on the muscles laid bare, and freshly removed from 

 their positions. I have publicly repeated these comparative exj^eriments at 

 the Hotel Dieu, at La Charite, and at the Lariboisiere Hospital. 



Sixth expieriment. — In 1852, 1 made some interesting experiments upon a 

 patient in La Charite (under M. Cruveilhier), in whom reflex phenomena were 

 very easily develojied. The lower limbs were entirely deprived of movement; 

 and yet the slightest impression on any i^art of the skin covering them threw 

 them into violent action which he was unable to control. 



Cutaneous excitation of the upper limbs, however powerful, produced no 

 movement of the lower. If the sensation experienced by the patient was 

 slight, as when a finger was drawn over his thigh, the movement would be 

 trifling, and confined to the limb touched ; but if the sensation were greater, 

 the movement would be more extensive, and would be executed by both Limbs 

 at once. 



The movements consisted always of flexion of the thigh upon the pelvis, 

 of the leg upon the thigh, and of the foot upon the leg. I never saw any 

 contraction of the muscles antagonistic to the flexors. The movements were 



