72 



LOCALIZED ELECTRIZATION. 



III. — Choice of rheophores. 



Muscular faradization is practised, either by concentrating the 

 electric excitation in a nervous plexus, trunk, or filament, which 

 shall conduct it to the muscles dependeut upon it, or by directing 

 the excitation upon individual muscles or fasciculi. In these 

 different operations, the rheophores should always be brought as 

 near as possible to each other. 



The first mode of faradization produces general movements; 

 that is, the contraction of many muscles or of all parts of a single 

 muscle; ajid is called indirect muscular faradization. The second 

 gives more partial movements, from the excitation of one muscle, 

 part of a muscle, or a fasciculus; and is called direct muscidar 

 faradization. 



Each of these modes of faradization requires a special proceeding 

 that I will describe. 



It is known that, on placing upon the skin the moist rheophores 

 of an induction apparatus, the electricity concentrates its power in 

 the organs placed immediately beneath the skin. Consequently, 

 to excite muscular contraction, it is necessary to set the rheophores 

 on points corresponding to the surface of the muscle or of its nerve ; 

 the rheophores being placed in communication with the intra- 

 polar extremities of an induction apparatus by metallic conductors. 

 For the muscles of the trunk, which have a large surface, I apply 

 moist sponges contained in cylinders (fig. 25), or metallic disks 

 (fig. 26) covered with wet leather. These 

 are furnished with insulating handles, as 

 in fig. 25. 



To limit the electric action in muscles 

 that present only a small surface, as those 

 of the face, or the interossei, I employ 

 conical metallic rheophores (figs. 27 and 

 28) which screw into separate handles. 

 The conical rheophores are covered by 

 leather soaked in water,^ and are pressed 

 by their extremities to points over the 

 muscles to be faradized. They also serve 

 me to guide the electric action upon 

 nerves, when I practise indirect muscular 

 faradization. 



The moist leather which covers the 

 metallic rheophores opposes much less re- 



Fig. 26. 



Fig. 25. 



Fig. 25.— Metallic rheophore with 

 insulating handle. 



Fig. 26. — Metallic rheophore with 

 disc. 



I habitually use the fingers of leather gloves, turned inside out. 



