Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-10-07
THE GAZETTE.
THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 7, 1858
THE PHILOSOPHY OF PAIN.


The same Iufuite Wisdom which has con.
trived pain for our protection, has 30 die
tributed it in O manner which causes II to
fulfil its defensive purposes with the least SUI.
fering to its subjects. The chapters which
Sir Charles Bell devoted to this question in
his work on the Hand" are alone, from their
originality, aud the striking evidence they
afford of design, worth all the rest Of the
Bridgewater Treatises. The skin 10 the ad-
vance guard through which every injury to
the other parts must maxi it's way. The
skin is, therefore, required to be the seat OF
peculiar sensitihty both for its own security
and to impel US to finch from the violence
which would hurt the flesh beneath. Form
ing our notions of pain from what we feel at
the surface, we imtibe the idea that the
deeper the wound the more severe would De
the suffering; but this, says Sir Charles
Bell, is delusive, and contrary to the TACT:
1.-The surgeon," he adds who makes use OF
the knife, informs the patient that the worst
is over when the skin is passed. aud 1t, III the
progress of the operation, ii Is found hece5sa-
nv 10 extend the outer iuci7Op, the return to
the skin proves far mJre trying titan The
original cut from the contrast ~h'cA II pre-
seDts 70 the comparative inseusitl!l'y oil ihe
interior The muscle is protected not by It's
OVID tenderness, which is by no means acute,
but by the tenderness OF its superficial cover
ing, which Affords" says Sir Charles, "a
more etfectual defence than ii our bodies were
clothed with the hide Of rhinUceros." 10
have endowed the delicate internal seizures
with an exquisite sensibiiity to the cash from
q knife, or q blow from stick, would have
been a superhouous torture. The end Is e.
fectually attained by spreading over them
thin layer Of highly sensitive SKID, which Is
too intOlerant OF cuts or bruises TO allow any
harm to approach 1t, which II Is IN our power
to avert In addition 10 the protection whlc'
is thus provided against occasional dangers,
the skin, ty it sensibility, is essential to our
existence under the hOuIl y conditions OF HE.
1t Is the skin which acts us thermometer 10
tell us whether the temperature Is suited TO
our Organization and warns us alike to shun
the perniciuus extremes OF heat or cold.
Ii is the skin again which prompts the ln-
stinctive restlessness that preserves the eutre
frame from decay. Aparalytlc patient must
be supported upon soft pillows, and his posi-
ton frequently changed by the nurse, or the
uninterrupted pressure upon the same SUI
face stops the flow Of the blood, OF which the
consequence Is the speedy destruction OF the
part, modification, and death. When Sir
Charles Bell called the attention Of his audi.
ence TO this fact, in q lecture delivered before
the College of Surgeons, he bid them observe
how often, Us they listened to bin, they had
moved upon their seats that they might
shift the weigh, Of their bodies and reilege
.ho x.h,.h hpyiuplhr he
cramped. 'Were you constrained be said
TO retain one position dullnS toe whole
hour, you would rise stiff and lame E'en
in the Inconsistencies OF s!umLer the con-
trivauce continues to ACT, and were II other
wise, sleep, instead Of beng natures sweet
restOrcr,' would deranse the circulation and
cripple our frames.
Not only has different parts of the system
sensibilites which differ altogether in kind, so
tina, while both shall be acuieiy alive IN their
appropriate stimulus, one or either may lie
dead to tbe application which rouses aud tor
lures the other. "a man who had his hngef
cut off. 80 as to hang by the tendon o"iy,
came to pupil of DR.. Hunter. l shall now
see, said the surgeon, whether this man has
any sepsitility in his tendon. lie land q
cord along the finger, and btEdio!diIg the
patient, cut across the tendon. TEL ne he
asked, what have | cut acrossY Why, you
have Gu, across the cord, to be sure was
the answer. The tendon was as lnsensitie
as the string itself. Further experiments
have shown that the tendons Of the muscle,
the hgaments which hold together the oints,
the cartlages that act as pad 10 the ex'remi-
ties of the bones where they work upon one
another, feel neither cuts nor burns. But
there is very different result if they are
submitted to stretching, laceration, aud con-
cussion. Then they raise the warning voice
of pain, and obtuse to what might seem
more agoDizing species OF injury, they are
iDtolerant of the less.
The reason is obvious. The skin Is the
fence to the inner membranes from the hrst
class of evils, but if the skin Is to have play
and power of adaptation which Is essential
to its functions, its very snppiencss wUu!o
prove to be too great check upon the move
mepts which sfec. the cartllages, the iiga-
ments, and the teudons. These, consequent
ly, are made impatient OF c0nCu.sion, Il d
tearing aud CT stretching, that we might not
leap from heights. run win V"iehce, OF
twist our Joints with force lncODsi7tert
with the strength Of the human fabric
The pain of a sprained ANGLE shows ho" sui
fcicnt is the punishment tn put a cheek upon
any excess of the kind. Exchange the sen
sibiities, confer upon the membranes "hich
are interspersed between the joints, OF "nich
tie them together, the same feelings oo'b III
kind and degree, which belong TO the skir'
and the common movements Of the body or
even the weight O! one flot upon aLo he',
would have been a:te, Ged, says ; ChaTies
Bell, with rs ouch suti ruG "a ~ eN'eri-
eucc when We ne'k ur,u an iffinmed IGh
Il oHd0H Quar- Regier
u REUBEN JOHNSTON VIII be Noed i"' -
Alderman 10 supply The vacancy III The fn"i,"
Ward, occasioned by the re iereuon OF l. b
Robertson, esq by ,.,.,,,,.
oct 4-dtt MANI WI "hN'
" IKGlNlA-Al rules hati III the i'erk :
Office OF The C0un'y tou't 81 A'eN"HaSa
County. Oh the Gih day oi 'eItem"'f' - :,
Frederick L-itrAudt wm. mcdowell a""
George q Shock, copar;neis trading midn, me
4 /. OF Ielbrsndi. Me Dnwe,l y Co, p!'ln'lrs ",
4. l. Gregory. Gelsudant.--ln Debt he OBJ. g
OF this suits 10 recover IRON the defendant a.
|. Gregory. the sum ci SZai. .. With Intries. On
IS ST, part thereof. from the 18Th oi February,
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