348 PRACTICE OF PHYSIC. 



CHAP. II. OF PALSY. 



MCXL. Palsy is a disease consisting in a loss of the power 

 of voluntary motion, by affecting certain parts of the body only, 

 and by this it is distinguished from apoplexy (MXCIV.). One 

 of the most frequent forms of palsy is when it affects the whole 

 of the muscles on one side of the body ; and then the disease is 

 named a Hemiplegia. 



MCXLI. The loss of the power of voluntary motion may 

 be owing either to a morbid affection of the muscles or organs 

 of motion, by which they are rendered unfit for motion, or to 

 an interruption of the influx of the nervous power into them, 

 which is always necessary to the motions of those that are under 

 the power of the will. The disease, from the first of these 

 causes, as consisting in an organic and local affection, we refer 

 entirely to the class of local diseases. I am here to consider 

 that disease only which depends upon the interrupted influx of 

 the nervous power ; and it is to this disease alone I would give 

 the appellation of Palsy. A disease depending on an inter- 

 rupted influx of the nervous power, may indeed often appear as 

 merely a local affection ; but as it depends on an affection of the 

 most general powers of the system, it cannot be properly sepa- 

 rated from the systematic affections. 



MCXLII. In palsy, the loss of motion is often accompanied 

 with a loss of sense ; but as this is not constantly the case, and 

 as therefore the loss of sense is not an essential symptom of 

 palsy, I have not taken it into my definition (MCXL.) ; and 

 I shall not think it necessary to take any further notice of it in 

 this treatise ; because, in so far as it is in any case a part of the 

 paralytic affection, it must depend upon the same causes, and 

 will be cured also by the very same remedies as the loss of 

 motion. 



" When there is a loss of sense without loss of motion, 

 physicians have been puzzled whether to call it palsy or not : 

 but I say it is a different disease, and should be known by 

 another name, such as Anesthesia. A curious case of this 

 occurred to me. A gentleman was affected with a hemiplegia, 

 which appeared most considerable in 'one arm ; at the same 



