News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-11-08
FACTS ABOUT PARALYSIS.
Interesting and Profitable Medical Read
inR-CHuscs of Paralysis.

So common has become the occur
renee Of paralysis in recent years that
many use the word for a slang exprcs-
sion; but for all that, says a prominent
physician. it is probable that a vast
majority Of the people who think at all
of paralysis reckon that it is a disease of
itself. That some medical men so re-
gard this position is plain from the fact
that deaths are frequently certified to
have been caused 10y it. The Incorrect
ness Of this notion Will, however, he plain
when the conditions which give rise to
paralysis are clearly set forth, and this
We now propose. 4 carpenter: black
smith, OF some mechanic, whose bust
hess requires him to yield hammer,
finds some morning that he Is unable to
raise his hammer arm, or perhaps, while
Mt work the man suddenly feels his arm
become numb and weak, it fails to his
side, and he is no longer able to work.
The doctor to whom the man applies
says ''braChial menOplcgia from muscle
tire, which means simply that the man
has overweight his hammer arm and
it needs rest. To these cases the very
appropriate name OF "artlsans' palsy IS
given. Again, Il poor-bloodcd, merry
Reconstructed person, most likely Il
woman, meets with Il great shock or has
to endure an unusual and prolonged
mental or physical effort. Soon, and
perhaps without warming, the individual
loses the use Of some part Of the body,
often of the vocal apparatus, and the
patient IS unable to speak above a
whisper. The doctor says "hystericaI
paralysis" or 'hystericm aphouia' -
loss OF voice. NoWniust how this comes
about we fancy II would puzzle the most
learned doctor to say. Concerning this
condition, however, as we'll as the one
before mentioned, this much is known,
VIZ, that by appropriate treatment they
recover perfectly and promptly, very
good evidence that no part of the merry
Gus apparatus is broken. The faith
cures reported from time to time are
probably cases of the kind last men
toned
1t sometimes happens that an iutoxi-
Gated person will fall asleep with his
head resting upon the arm or with the
arm hanging over Il CHAIR back. When
the person awakeus the arm is numb;
it tuglcs and is parMyZed- another
"brachial mcnoplegia, but really pres.
sure upon the trunk of the nerves which
supply the disabled member has affected
those nerves so that they are unable TO
perform their usual duty. The nerves
which go out from the brain and spinal
cord to the extremities are quite com
parable to the wires which are stretched
from place to place for electric G m
munication, and pressure upon one sec
ton of those nerves produces results
very like those which follow an iuterisr-
euce with the wire. The case just given
illustrates very well large number of
cases of palsy from pressure, forprc~surc
upon the brain or spinal cord or the
nerves which have their exit thcrcfrcm
VIII produce 81 palsy whose extent viii
depend upon the extent of the pressure,
and whose durability will depend upon
the chances for removing the pressure.
Pressure upon the nerves which supply
one side of the face produces Il very
paralysis, aud one that
causes many Iaughahic mistakes ON the
part of tyros and non-profcssioual people
bv their attempts to detect the affected
side Pressure upon tine brain or spinal