7 
on the Irritability of Nerves. 
present; the pulse was 105 in a minute, the tongue white, a 
great deal of general irritation, nervous twitches all over the 
body, but in the greatest degree in the arm and leg of that side. 
The stiff-fronted glove was now put on, to confine the thumb. 
Twenty-four hours, or one day, after the operation, the first 
dressings were removed: the thumb was much swelled, and no 
union whatever had taken place; the spasms returned every 
five hours, but were less violent. 
The second day, there was no abatement of the symptoms, 
but the spasms did not affect the brain ; they were not now stopt 
by the pressure of the tourniquet, as they had been before the 
operation. 
The third day, there were intervals of ten hours between 
the spasms ; and, in the night, they did not extend beyond the 
elbow. 
The fifth day, suppuration took place in the wound; the swell- 
ing in the hand was much abated ; and the patient was able to 
dress and shave without spasm, having only twitches in the 
fingers, and tremors in the fore-arm. 
The sixth day, there was a burning pain in the hand, and a 
numbed heavy feel in the thumb and fore-finger, similar to what 
the patient recollected to have felt four years before, when he 
hurt his thumb. 
The seventh day, the patient awoke with great pain in the 
hand, succeeded by a violent spasm, which passed up to the head, 
although the tourniquet had been previously tightened : after this, 
he had no spasm for sixteen hours. 
The eighth day, the hand was less swoln and less painful ; and 
he had only two spasms in twenty-four hours. 
The ninth day, the swelling had subsided, and the twitches 
