VOL. LIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 67Q 



yi. Effects of Electricity applied to a Tetanus, or Muscular Rigidity, of four 

 Months'" Continuance. By Wm. Watson, M.D., F. R. S., &c. p. 10. 



Catherine Field, a girl in the Foundling Hospital, aged about 7 years, and 

 otherwise a healthy child, having been disordered a few days with what were con- 

 sidered as complaints arising from worms, was observed, on Thursday, July 8, 

 1762, to open her mouth with great difficulty. This particular circumstance 

 increased so much, that by the Sunday following, when Dr. W. first saw her, 

 her teeth were so much confined, it was with difficulty that even liquids could 

 be admitted into her mouth. She had 2 days before parted with 2 worms, and 

 had several very offensive stools. Her breath was now, and had been for some 

 days, very fetid. Though her jaw was locked very close, she was without pain; 

 even in the tei.jporal and masseter muscles, whose office is to bring the under 

 jaw to the upper ; and which, in this instance, were tense, hard, and spasmodi- 

 cally affected. She was feverish, her pulse was quick, and her flesh hot; and 

 she had had but very little sleep. 



On Monday, July 12, he visited this poor girl in consultation with Dr. Mor- 

 ton. They found she had had a restless night; her fever was high, and it was 

 infinitely difficult to introduce any thing between her teeth. As there had been 

 no wound, no eruption repelled, they were of opinion, from her offensive breath, 

 and other indications, that the spasm of her jaw was symptomatic, either of 

 worms or foul bowels. Whatever was admitted into her mouth, was swallowed 

 without difficulty ; neither in this state of the disease was her breathing at all 

 affected. For near 3 weeks the disorder confined itself to the jaw, during which 

 time she was constantly feverish. At times indeed her fever ran very high, and 

 her pulse beat 130 strokes in a minute. At other times it beat only about 100; 

 but never for these 3 weeks was it slower than that number. 



Notwithstanding their best endeavours, the disease not only continued, but 

 the rigidity communicated to the muscles of her neck, so that she could not 

 move her head in the least : and from pains shooting down her back, they had 

 reason to apprehend, and which indeed did soon after happen, that the muscles 

 of her back would soon likewise be rigid. After the back was affected, the dis- 

 ease extended very fast ; so that by the end of Sept. almost all the muscles of her 

 body were rigid and motionless. To be somewhat more particular ; the rigidity 

 from the temporal and masseter muscles had extended to the cheeks, to the 

 neck, breast, abdominal muscles, all those of the back, the right arm, the hips, 

 thighs, legs, and feet. Nor were they by any force, that could be exerted with 

 safety, to be extended. By the rigidity and contraction of the large and long 

 muscles of the back, the os sacrum and hips were drawn towards the shoulders ; 

 so that the spine formed a very considerable arch. By the superior strength of 

 the flexor muscles of the thighs to that of the extensors, the legs were drawn up 



