126 LOCALIZED ELECTRIZATION. 



who had imperfectly understood one of my publications, thotight it possible 

 to apply without risk, in aU cases, faradization to the treatment of cere- 

 bral hemiplegia, in six months or a year after the absori^tion of the haemor- 

 rhage. The young man had not understood the difference between an electric 

 excitation Limited to the muscles, and a method that calls them into con- 

 traction by a powerful electrization by reflex action. We shall see the result 

 of his hope to hasten his recovery. 



Having put in action an induction coil, with intermittences (by a trembler) 

 of great rapidity, he took one of the metallic cylinders in each hand, so 

 that the current passed through his brachial nerves from end to end. At 

 the moment when it began to pass, his hands closed with great force, and 

 he was unable to relinquish the cylinders. Feeling then that his paralysed 

 limb was contracting very painfully, he had presence of mind to overturn 

 the Bunsen's pile with his foot. The current was stopped instantly, but it 

 was too late. Its action, although continued only for a few seconds, had 

 already occasioned serious injury. The head was extremely painful, the 

 contraction extended to the whole side, and the poor fellow, who was alone 

 in his room, was found an hour later in convulsions ujion the floor. He 

 was removed to La Charite, inider M. Piorry ; and there I heard from 

 himself the history I have related. His life was for many days in danger ; 

 and, notwithstanding repeated depletion, purgatives, and a blister to the 

 nucha, painful and tetanoid contractions persisted for many weeks. At last, 

 after a long sojourn in the hospital, he was able to leave ; still suffering 

 from contractions of the right side, much more general and much more 

 severe than before he conceived the unfortunate notion of cu^ring himself 

 by reflex electrization. 



If, in this case, the electric excitation had been limited to the 

 paralysed muscles, notwithstanding the peculiar cerebral condition, 

 and the hyperemia which may exist at the point where a 

 secondary sclerosis of the cord has been developed, — conditions 

 which, in my judgment, would contra-indicate even localized 

 faradization, — these grave accidents, evidently due to over-stimula- 

 tion of the centre, would not have taken place. I have learnt 

 thus much by long experience ; for I have many times faradized 

 locally the muscles of patients who were in the same state as this 

 young man, and without producing any inconvenience. I have 

 come to the conclusion that localized applications are in such 

 cases simply useless, but not dangerous when made with circum- 

 spection. At the commencement of my researches I often 

 faradized by reflex action the antagonists to the contracted 

 muscles of liemijDlegic patients, and I sometimes had occasion 

 to repent doing it, so that it is necessary to be cautious in the 

 employment of a method that has proved to be so dangerous. 



Electro-dynamic baths, given in a dose so feeble as not to 

 provoke muscular contraction, produce an excitation that increases 

 muscular force in certain forms of general paralysis. I have 

 often employed such baths with success. 



The mode of application already referred to I think preferable, 

 on account of its simplicity, to other and more complicated 

 methods. 



