Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-12-15
Writers CramD.

BY AN EMINENT PHYSICIAN.
IL occasionally happens that person long ac-
custcmed 10 writing finds at length that his
finger or fingers execute singular and unac-
cOuntable movements; he experiences difficulty
IN retaining his pen between his thumb and
myers and accordingly he grasps il more
IghtIy; II may be pushed by his first finger over
The nail of his thumb, and il is difficult To bring
Lhe pen back To its place-a finger starts sud-
Gtrly, ana hence his writing looks unnatural
The same symptoms are Sometimes noticed nv
Others. a bysthOse who play upon instruTbents
= nc nc llanlst NAV nave such spasmodic action of
hnger as TO touch keyes which he intended to
avoid The UOlinist may find his fingers stiff
anu uhcOntrollablc l-aboring people may suffer
IN a similar nanner-as, for example, the seam
stress PrIeks her fingers, and with all her efforts
her stitching Is irregular; the brickIaver NAV
De unable To use the trOwel; the miIkmaid NAV
ne unable to pursue her avOcatiOn; the tailor
Btu shoe-IiasSer have 10 abandon their trades
f9r long period these symptoms were re-
earded merely as pecuIiarities, InIPorS-
ance was attached to the IN. IL did not occur to
tke earlier observers that they indicated true
disease. But such proved - be the case and the
affection Is now known As e. Writer'S Cramp' or
8. SCriveneT's Palsy" because il i more often
met with in this class of persons.
i hl> singular disease il chronic in its form
and Is characterized by the occurrence of a
spaSm when the attempt j. made 10 execute
special AMI complicated movement the result of
previous education" At Erst. the spasm is
often very slight, so as hardly TO attract atten-
tiOn. and when the effort ceases there is no evil
dence that there i any special affection. But
when an attempt Is again made, the spaSm re-
turns The disease l. liable To extend and in
NOlVe other Fingers, the thumb, and even more
instant muscles, a. of the arm. Persons some
times endeayOr TO overcome the difficulty by
moving the entire arm in the act Of writing. and
some have even learned To write with the other
hand But il has too frequently happened that
the spasm has Immediately occurred in the
BAND last educated. All efforts to control the
sPasm, and force the affected hand into action
has resulted ia increasing the difficulty.
The cause of this cTamp is unknown. Ii has
teen supposed to be due to excessive writing,
but there are no facts to warrant the opinion.
Some have attributed it To the use of metallic
Pen. but there is no proof of this assertion.
The truth Is that writing, like playing upon a
Piano, Is very complicated act and requires
great cO-Ordinating power. IL is learned with
uifhculty, a. many muscles have TO be educated
10 act in harmony. The performance of the
tunctlon of every muscle depends upon the in
teSrttX OF the nerve supplying il, and of that
TART Of the brain from which the nerve takes its
origin. slight arrangement, therefore, of any
a these parts interferes or destroys the function
al muscle or muscles. and the result is inter-
ference with the particular act previously 80
easily and rapidly performed 1t is no uneom-
mon thing 10 ind a loss of power i'm a part which
Gt-trON> some most important function of the
1Ody. In writer's cramp. there Is from some
cause uHknOW N, defect IN the power OF coOrdi-
mating movements of a limited kind, but vet
Suf1ClcHt TO interrupt a series of movements
which we have been educated to perform and
Y a!lh have through long practice become auto
Iss.ic.
Tie treatment of this maIadv IS simple. and
consists In rest. When the patient promptly
lays aside the partie ular business in the perform
;nce OF which spasm OF cramp occurs, recoy-
IrS 4 almost certain. Every effort to overcome
n by persistent use of the part only increases the
immediate spaSm, and renders il more liable TO
extend and involve other parts IL is idle to at
1e-El't cure by any known medicinal prepara-
ton.
When recovery is complete the patient NAV
15suIne hi business. but he must not Oyertax the
previously affected part. Relapse is not liable
- occur unless the part Is oyerworked-Hearh