202 LOCALIZED ELECTRIZATION. 



recourse to faradization of the antagonists, in order to obtain a 

 complete cure. 



(^(Ij^ — Ascending reflex contraction from articular injuries. — The 

 reflex ascending contraction, in which I have comparatively studied 

 the therapeutic action of the continuous current, and of localized 

 faradization, has not at present, to my knowledge at least, been 

 described or mentioned by authors. This kind of contraction 

 o-enerallv follows after violence exerted upon certain articulations, 

 principally upon the articulation of the wrist, in falls upon the 

 back or the palm of the hand, violence which produces an arthritis 

 more or less intense, or a simple articular pain of short duration. 

 The contraction which sometimes appears a little while after the 

 joint has ceased to be painful, and when it appears to be entirely 

 cured, has its seat in a larger or smaller number of the motor mus- 

 cles of the joint affected ; and at length may extend to the motor 

 muscles of other joints on the same side of the limb. The pain, 

 limited at first to the contracted muscles, is moderate; but it after- 

 wards attacks the other muscles, although always remaining most 

 acute in those which were originally affected ; and at length it 

 attacks the nerve-trunks which supply the muscles, and, finally, 

 their origin in the brachial plexus. Often, even when the contrac- 

 tions have disappeared, the patients are still (sometimes even for 

 year$) sufferers from continual pains towards the origin of the 

 nerves of the affected limb, pains M'hich seem to be symptomatic 

 of a morbid condition of the spinal cord. Lastly, the strength and 

 sensibility of the limb in which the contractions are seated, are 

 generally found to be diminished. 



I have cured many of these reflex ascending contractions by 

 faradization practised in a painful manner (with the extra current, 

 and with rapid intermissions). 1 shall here relate a single case 

 that was remarkable for the reason that, being of a certain severity, 

 it was for more than a year rebellious to various kinds of treat- 

 ment, and even to a long application of constant currents, accord- 

 ing to the method of Eemak, the direction of which were centrifugal 

 during the first two thirds of the treatment, and centripetal during 

 the remaining third, and that it was nevertheless cured in a few 

 seances by the faradization, in strong dose and with rapid intermis- 

 sions, of the antagonists of the contracted muscles. I give the case 

 as a typical one, or rather as a picture of this kind of contraction. 



Case XV. — Summary. Keflex contraction of a large member of the motor 

 muscles of the right upper extremity, existing for two years, consecutive to an 

 arthritis of the wrist of that side, produced ly a fall upon the. lack of the hand, 

 rebellious to varied medical treatment, and to the application during thirty 

 seances of constant continuous currents {according to EemaVs method,), eventually 

 cured in a few sednccs by energetic faradizcUion tvith rapid intermissions of the 



