The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-02-11


as day that all had to do, after you had
kindly furnished me the names, was to
march over to the girls houses and ask
them to return you tho St Valentine com.
plment."
.Ohp'
ut was something Of q job TO give up my
Latin, aud go on trot like that" said
Philip, In mild resignation, and getting q
wise distance from her retributive fingers.
However, was willing to do it for my
only sister, and"
IA st. valen tine goose" finished Ma.
thalic.-Nargara Sidney, In Christian Union.
CAUSES OF NEURALGIA.
Some Pertinent Remarks Upon Very
Painful subject.
pain Is the cry of nerve for pure
blood" Is the striking explanation Of
neuralgia given by the most original
nerve pathologist of the present GEN.
tury. Although we can only become
sensible of pain through our nerves,
all pain is not neuralgia. This term is
applied to q special kind of pain, often
occurring without any ascertainable
local cause, but freqently referable to
certain morbid conditions, the removal
Of which will remove the pain likewise.
The nervous system has been aptly
compared to telegraph circuit. The
brain il the central Office, from and to
which the wires-the nerves-lead. The
nerves. which conduct sensations from
the various termini to the brain are
sensitive nerves, those which convey
impressions from the brain to the peri
phery are nerves of motion. It is the
first class or sensitive nerves that are
affected in neuralgia.
Pressure, inflammation or injury Of the
nerves may cause neuralgia. Certain
poisons circulating in the blood, such
as the malarial, rheumatic, or gouty
poison, may also cause it. In other
cases it is due to simply poverty of the
blood; these are often extremely diff
cult to relieve, and in many such cases
good teeth have been sacrificed under
the belief that the neuralgia was due
to a decayed molar.
Any sensitive nerve in the body may
be the seat of neuralgia. Thus it may
occur in the scalp, the face. tho chest,
abdominal organs, the thighs, or even
the feet. The neuralgias of the face
and head and of the thighs are most
frequent. The first is very liable to be
a manifestation of malaria, cold or de-
fective teeth, while sciatica or neural
gia of the great sensitive nerve of the
thigh and leg is often an expression of
the rheumatic poison.
A very singular form of neuralgia is
that affecting the nerves Of amputated
limbs. 1t not rarely happens that after
an amputated stump has tealed the
nerves of the stump being compressed
in the scar, become exceedingly pain
full. Curiously the pain is not felt in
the stump, but in the extremity of the
limb which has been amputated. In
one coming under the notice of the wri-
ter man whose arm had been amputa.
ted above the elbow referred the exqui.
site pain he felt to the little finger of the
amputated hand years after the opera
ton. An old one-legged soldier apply.
ing for an increase of pension said:
He had more pain in the foot which
amt, than in the foot which are
This was a terse way of saying that he
continued to have Il pain in the foot
which he had lost on the battlefield
many years before.
The explanation of this consists III
the fact that the terminal filaments OF
nerve are its most sensitive points
they are the "feelers." the points from
which the sensations start on their
course to the brain, where they give
notice that something is wrong with Its
outlying districts. Whep the nerve is
injured in its continuity the sensation
is often referred to the terminal ends
Every one who has struck his "crazy
bone-the point above the elbow where
the ulnar nerve is very superficial and
easily injured-must have noticed how
much the sensation was affected in the
little finger, the pain being Otter
greater there than at the point where
the blow was struck.
The treatment of neuralgia must b.
guided by its causes. If carious tootf
is at the end of the painful nerve, i
should be extracted in order to remov,
the source of irritation. 1.-THE neuralgi,
is rheumatic in origin, the treatmen
must be directed to the removal of tina
cause. Many sufferers find that tn
habitual wearing of flannel undergar
ments will obviate tho attacks of thei
old enemy to which they were subjec
at every change of the weather. Il
cases of sciatica swathing the limb il
flannel dipped in hot water or in spirit
of turpentine will often cut short al
attack.
When the nerve pain is due to ma
larial poison or to general depravemen
of the blood, the most brilliant effect
arc secured from tho proper use @
quinine, iron and arsenic. In oil
chronic cases due to inflammation in o
along the track of tho nerve, the per
sistcnt use of electricity will often ef
feet cure. The proper use of such
potent remedy requires, however,
thoeough study of the different cuI
rents employed. rs it is easy to Sc
that harm may be done by its inJr
dicious employment In very obstinat
cases, especially OF sciatica, the nerv
has been exposed by the surgeon
picked up out of its bed and stretche
with considerable force. In man
cases this procedure has been son
pletcly effectual. In others, piece {
tho uorva hos haen aycisad SO as IN ~