4 
Mr. Home's Lecture 
to relieve them ; sparks drawn from the thumb, produced tre- 
mors in the muscles, which were confined to the thumb. An 
electric shock through the ball of the thumb, brought on a very 
severe spasm in the arm; but neither sparks, nor a shock 
through the other thumb, produced any sensible effect. 
On the 29th of December, I first saw the patient; and, after 
watching the symptoms for three days, made the following 
observations upon the complaint. 
That the beginning of the attack was some involuntary motion 
of the thumb and fore-finger ; and therefore, the disease appeared 
to be in the branch of the nerve which supplies these two 
parts, called by Winslow, the median nerve. 
That the progress of the spasms was in the direct course of 
the trunks of the median nerve, up to the head. 
That compressing the parts in the course of that nerve, when 
it was done before the spasms had reached them* always ar- 
rested their progress ; but, when once the muscles had become 
convulsed, or agitated, the same compression had no effect in 
stopping the progress of the spasms. 
The mode in which the spasms were propagated along the 
course of the nerves, was as follows. 
Five or six tremors took place in the flexors of the thumb 
and fore-finger; then similar convulsive motions affected the 
muscles of the fore-arm ; soon after, the muscles of the arm 
were thrown into the same kind of action ; afterwards the pec- 
toral muscle, and scaleni of the neck : the muscles of the lower 
jaw were probably in the same state, although their action was 
not within the notice of the by-standers. The head was pulled 
forcibly to that side, in quick successive motions, and in a second 
or two, the whole ceased ; the parts became tranquil, the insen- 
