112 LOCALIZED ELECTKIZATION. 



on the diseased side. The muscles contracted in response to the excitation, 

 but without the consciousness of the patient. At the second seance, as at the 

 former, slie felt some of the local sensations commonly produced by electric 

 recomposition ; but she complained of a kind of stitch in the left side, with 

 suffocation, palpitations, dazzling, nausea, and cephalalgia. These pheno- 

 mena were more severe, the stronger the current, and the nearer the rheophores 

 were placed to the precordial region. If the rheophores were apphed to the 

 healthy side, the ordinary phenomena produced by electric recomposition 

 were displayed without any general effects. These strange phenomena 

 induced me to repeat the following experiment several tim.es, in the presence 

 of MM. Andral, Therial, Lacaze, and the students in attendance upon M. 

 Andral's chnique. We arranged so that the patient could neither see nor 

 hear what was done ; and then the rheophores were placed at the lower 

 extremity of the left leg, so as to produce electric recompositions in the skin. 

 As soon as the aj^paratus was set in action, the symptoms above described 

 ajDpeared. Leaving the rheophores in place, the course of the current was 

 interrupted in a manner that the patient could not know, and instantly the 

 symptoms disappeared. The rheophores, placed upon the healthy side, pro- 

 duced either muscular contractions and sensations or a burning sensation, 

 according to the tissue in which the electric recompositions occurred; but 

 they never occasioned any of the general jDhenomena described above. This 

 experiment repeated very frequently, and on many days in succession, gave 

 always the same result. The patient was so sensible of the electric influence 

 that she recognised the very faintest currents when applied to the diseased 

 side ; although the iDhenomena occasioned by the same currents, when applied 

 to the sound side, were scarcely appreciable. Every time that she was 

 exposed to the current, however feeble, and for however short a time, she 

 suffered for a long i^eriod afterwards from pains in the head, disturbance of 

 vision, general malaise, a stitch in the side, and a redoubled occvuTence 

 of vomiting to which she had long been subject. 



It is very difficult to find the key to these singular phenornena. 

 The theory of local electric reeomjDositions is certainly not appli- 

 cable to them ; because, on the left side, the patient was deprived 

 of sensation in the parts on which I acted, and did not experience 

 any of the ordinary physiological effects of electric recompositions, 

 occurring in the skin, in the muscles, &c., &c. They can only be 

 explained by the reflex action of some important point in the ner- 

 vous centres, under the influence of the peripheral excitation of 

 certain zones ; although the organs excited were themselves struck 

 with insensibility. 



An extreme reflex excitability of the nervous centres, of the 

 heart, or of the respiratory organs may also be developed under 

 the influence of certain pathological states. Faradization is then 

 a two-edged weapon. However, by proper circumspection, we may 

 always avoid danger. We may even, under certain circumstances, 

 take a fortunate part in sustaining or in regulating functions 

 essential to Hie, such as those of the heart, or of respiration. I 

 shall have occasion to record a remarkable case, in which a slight 

 electro-cutaneous excitation with the hand, on the precordial region, 

 prolonged for many days the life of a patient who, during con- 

 valescence from membranous angina, and under the influence of 



