CHAPTER XV. 



PATHOLOGY OF THE GREATER SYMPATHETIC. 

 BY DR. P. HARVIER. 



Physician to the Paris Hospitals. 



If we wanted to describe in detail the pathology of the 

 sympathetic, it would be necessary, because of the physio- 

 logical importance of this nerve, to review a large number 

 of nervous and mental diseases. As Laignel-Lavastine 

 has said: 



The pathology of the sympathetic is a border line 

 pathology. To understand this all that is necessary is to 

 refer to a few typical examples. We can, for instance, 

 consider as belonging to the pathology of the sympathetic : 



1. Certain cardio vascular manifestations, such as, 

 tachycardia, bradycardia, arythmia, when the modifica- 

 tions of the rhythm are due to lesions of the nervous 

 system and independent of lesions of the bundle of His; 

 the hypertension crisis described by Pal and Vaquez, 

 the angiospasms, etc. 



2. Thermic and vaso-motor disturbances observed in 

 cerebral hemorrhages (initial hyperemia followed by 

 coolness, then a fall of arterial pressure on the paralyzed 

 side), in medullary traumatism (increase in temperature 

 of the inferior limbs, on the side corresponding to the 

 hemisection, according to the experiments of Vulpian 

 and Schiff). 



3. Trophic disturbances; arthropathies, osteopathies, 

 perforating pain of affections of the cord; hematomyelia, 

 syringomyelia, tabes ; indurated edema of hemiplegics and 

 organic paraplegias and peripheral neuritis. 



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