THE NON-CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 215 



Paralysis. 



Paralysis is due to inflammation and connective tis- 

 sue overgrowth, produced by septic blood. The inflam- 

 mation affects the spinal cord, or the cord and brain. 

 The changes are caused by irritation and a loss of nutri- 

 tion. The irritation paralyzes more or less the nerves 

 controlling the blood vessels supplying the cord and 

 brain, and the vessels dilate. Too much blood is the 

 result and there follows a low form of inflammation 

 and connective tissue overgrowth, as described. There 

 is a corresponding destruction of nerve-fibers and nerve- 

 cells in the cord and brain. The contraction of the 

 newly formed tissue squeezes the nerve structures, shut- 

 ting off their circulation, causing pressure and aiding 

 in their destruction. The nerve-fibers are found in 

 different stages of degeneration. The semi-independent 

 nerve-centers formed by the aggregation of the gang- 

 lionic or larger nerve-cells in the cord degenerate and 

 disappear more or less completely. With the destruc- 

 tion of the natural tissue and the contraction of the con- 

 nective tissue overgrowth, the spinal cord becomes hard 

 and fibrous. 



According to the newer teaching the nerve-tissue is 

 destroyed first, and is followed by connective tissue over- 

 growth. It is impossible for this to be true beyond a 

 limited extent, for the first nerve-cell that died would 

 excite inflammation around it, and this would cause an 

 increase in the connective tissue, and the contraction 

 of this would destroy other nerve-structures, obliterate 

 small arteries, and thus aid in degenerative changes. 



