Fractures of the Spine. 69 



sensible, thougli his jaw was locked. His convulsions returned, and he 

 was relieved by bleeding. In a few hours his jaw began to move with 

 great rapidity, and continued moving in an extraordinary manner for 

 nearly ilve minutes, when all at once he exclaimed that he could speak. 

 He was maniacal. He proved he was not at all paralytic, for it required 

 two men to hold him, and he almost sprung out of bed to be revenged on 

 the nurse. He passed a great deal of fseces and flatus with singular 

 force. In twelve hours he became again rational. On the third day 

 after the attack of convulsions he complained of difficulty in using his 

 arm, and two days after he had total palsy of the lower extremities, 

 which was more remarkable as at this time he regained the use of his 

 arm. He lived for a week after this, but continued sinking, and still 

 retained about him much of the character of typhus fever. The day 

 before his death he was perfectly sensible, and had recovered sensation in 

 his legs, for he could feel the rubbing of a finger upon them. At this 

 time, although he appeared to pass his faeces involuntarily, still he 

 passed them with great force, and he was able to eject an enema which 

 was given contrary to his desire. 



Dissection. — The brain was examined carefully, and nothing was 

 remarked except a little effusion between the pia mater and tunica 

 arachnoides. On cutting the muscles by the side of the last cervical 

 vertebra, a little pus oozed out. It was found to come from between the 

 vertebne. On dissecting up the muscles, there was found to be an evident 

 loosening of the last cervical from the first dorsal vertebrae. The inter- 

 ventral substance was completely destroyed, and an immense quantity 

 of pus surrounded them. On the back part the pus had extended under 

 the scapula, and on the fore part was bounded by the oesophagus. On 

 examining the spinal canal, the pus was found to have dropped down the 

 whole length of the sheath to the cauda-equina." ((Sec Bell's "Surgical 

 Observations," 1816, p. 145.) 



There is a complete dislocation, without apparent fracture. 

 The anterior ligament is stripped off the seventh cervical 

 vertebra, but without being torn through ; the other ligaments 

 have been ruptured. B. C. 1. 4. M. 6. 



3.74. Partial Dislocation forwards and Fracture of the 



sixth Cervical Vertebra. — Last three cervical and first 

 dorsal vertebrae — partially macerated, dried and varnished, 

 showing the above condition of the sixth vertebra. 



Paralysis of the body below. He lived twenty hours. (Case of 

 William Wood, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, 1804.) 



On the left side the lower articular process of the sixth 



