The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-11-25
r,,o sensas,sn Of An.cns Limbs.


II has long been known to surgeons that
,,hcn n limb has been cut off the sufferer
,in,- not lose the c3nscIousncss o. us cA-
SENECA This has been found to he true In
,,..rly every such case. Only about nFe
80 cont Of The men who have suffered
a,,n,Itstion never have any feeling OF the
S,,rt as being still present. Uf the rest
hero are = few who i'll time come TO forget
the missing member, While The remainder
seem 70 retain sense or It's existence so
y;y;1 AS "a be more definite and intrusive
,h,,n Is that OF liz truly living tcllow-lne1n-
Der.
! person in this condition Is haunted, as
il we're, Dc constant or iucoustant frdc-
fiona! phantom Of so much OF himself as
has been Topped away-an unseen ghost OF
fnc lost part. and sometimes presence
,art,e sorcly jnconveuient by the fact that
While but faiutly felt at times 1t is at others
aCutalr called 10 his attention by the pains
OF irrilations which itappears 10 suffer from
blow on The stump or change in the
weather.
There is something almost tragieal-
something ghastly-in the notion OF these
thousands OF spirit limbs bunting as many
good soldiers, and every now and then t0r-
lncnting them with the diSappontmcn,s.
Whic,! alise when, the memory being on
::ilsrd for q moment, the keen sense OF the
limits pre$cncc bctga}S the man int" some
effort, The failure Of which oi sudden
rcmlpds him OF his loss.
MANY persons feel the lost limb rs exist
Ing he moment they awaken from the mer-
c.lut slupor Of the ether given to destroy
the tprmentS OF the knife; others come
slowly TO this consciousness in days or
weeks, and when the wound has healed !;
bat as = rule the more sound and service
:,,.e the stump, especially II an artificial
,;m., he worn, the more likely is the man TO
fr,! family the presence OF his shorn me dl-
her. Sometimes q blow on the stump will
rrtiNaken such consciousness, or. rs hap
l.Cnrd in one case, Il reamputatlon higher
tIp he limb will summon 1t anew into seem
INK CNistcncc.
ia n,ry, the limb may be recalled to the
,n..n by IRRITATING the nerves in its stump.
Eycry doctor knows that when any part of
:. nerve is excited by a pinch. tap. or by
Ccctricity- witch l. in altogether harmless
mraus--lhC pain, if it DC ancryc OF feeling,
- lei: as if il neIe really caused in the part
TO which the nerve finally passes. a ia
miiar illustration is met with when we
l.urt the "c.azy. bone" behind tue elbow.
G.,> crazy bone is merely the ulnar nerve,
which gives sensation to the third and
iuinth fingers, 3nd in which latter
,&aI, we icel the numbing pain Of blow
INC IN. II nerve. IL We were ~ Olfttte
,!i- pcrvc fellow the elbow the pain would
sill seem TO he in the iiOgcls, nor would
il ittI ;hC case were the arm cut OIL. when,
therefore, the current Of Il battery Is turned
upon the nerves OF AT arm stump, the irri-
III ION caused III the divided nerves is car
rice: 10 he brain, and there referred ut once
10 al the regions OF the lost limb, from
wllcl, ~hcn entire, these nerves brought
jho>c impressions OF touch or pain which
titc brain converts into sensations. As tic
r'cv:yic current disturbS the nerves the
icing with startling reality.
On one occasion tie shoulder was thus
uirctriztd three inches above the point
where the arm bid been cut of. For two
yius the man had ceased 10 be conscious
rl the limb. as the current passed, al.
t!oU"h iguoraut OF It's possible effects, he
>sIliuu up, crying aloud, "Oh, the hand,
Ia~ hand ~ and tried TO seize IL with The
living grasp Of the sound fingers. No re.
;nuncu spirit, could nave been more start
nag. rs The current WAS broken, the last
Part iaGca again, OUIy TO be recalled by the
S.!.Gr means. This man had ceased 10 feel
hrS Limb. with others ii is IA presence never
ap-tat save in sleep. "If," says onc maD,
d" -h4ui say | am more sure OF the leg
which Amt than Of The one That are, 1
,,ut5s | should be about COrrect.'-- From
iiuRtom Limits. by DR.. S. Weir Mitchell,
IN the December no Of LiIp'ncoifs Maya
%,nc.