238 LOCALIZED ELECTRIZATION. 



arterio-sclerosis, or miliary aneurisms, or embolisms. We know, 

 also, that any excessive general excitement may recoil npon the 

 nervous centres, and may produce accidents of the same kind. 

 The employment of an apparatus with rapid intermissions, and 

 that acutely excites the sensibility, is therefore very dangerous in 

 the treatment of cerebral paralysis. Of this fact I had melancholy 

 proofs at the commencement of my researches. 



It follows, consequently, that in forms of paralysis of cerebral 

 origiu it is necessary to be very circumspect in the use of localized 

 faradization, and to avoid exciting too acutely the general sensi- 

 bility, under pain of exposing the patient to serious mischances. 

 And, as we know, faradization by rapid intermission does excite 

 the sensibility acutely. 



Because currents of rapid intermission might be dangerous or 

 inapplicable in the treatment of cerebral paralysis, it does not 

 follow that such cases ought not to be subjected to localized 

 faradization. We must remember that it is possible to produce 

 by faradization very energetic contractions, without causing any 

 severe pain, if only the intermissions are sufficiently far apart (one 

 or two in a second, for example). Practised thus, with slow inter- 

 missions, the faradization exposes the patient to no danger, and 

 may on the contrary olten be of great utility. 



Raj)id muscular faradization is only required when the muscles 

 have in various degrees lost their sensibility, or when their nutrition 

 is endangered. But their sensibility is rarely affected in cases of 

 cerebral paralysis ; and, as regards their nutrition, I shall show 

 hereafter that the muscular fibre remains intact in such cases. 

 We cannot consider as a lesion of nutrition the wasting that some- 

 times occurs, and that is due solely to prolonged inaction. 



(h). Even when the state of the nervous centres in no way contra- 

 indicates the use of rapid intermissions, it is never a matter of 

 indifference whether faradization is practised \Aith or without pain. 

 There are patients who, either from want of couiage, or from 

 nervous excitability, cannot bear pain. Such, for example, are 

 women and children. 



If, on the one hand, the power of currents of rapid intermission 

 to increase the tonic force of muscles, and frequently to occasion 

 their contraction, is sometimes useful in tlierapeutics ; yet, on the 

 other hand, it may occasion great mischief. I shall show by 

 examples, that when applied to the face it has produced, in 

 some instances, contractions that have occasioned permanent 

 deformity. 



(c). Lastly, there are a great number of instances in which we 

 desire only the application of a very small number of isolated 



