The Press., 1893-03-23
ELECTRICITY CURES NEURALGIA.


 The vibratory Principle Applied to the '. Head by Electrical Helmet.
 Among all the methods more or less odd in appearance applied to the treat ment of nervous. diseases, there arc few more original than the one that has been employed for some time at the Salpe- triere by Professor Charcot. It is the treatment by mechanical vibrations.
 There is a seriGns disease of the nerv- ous system, characterized by an inces- sant trembling of the hands, stepping attitude and an odd gait, that makes it seem as if the invalid was going to pre- cipitate himself head foremost. It is the trembling palsy, also called Parkin- sons disease, a sort of painful nervous disorder that deprives the unfortunate who Is afflicted with it of rest and sleep. MT. Charcot 8 long time ago learned from some invalids who were troubled with this infirmity that they derived de- cided relief from long rides on a railroad or. ill carriage. The more the yibra- tions caused ill the compartments by the train running at full speed, and the more the carriage was jolted over an uneven pavement, the more the relief experi- enced. At the end of a days journey they felt better and experienced an inex- pressible comfort. One of them con- ceived the idea of having himself wheeled about for hours in one of those heavy carts used for carrying paving stones. Contrary to the experience of all travellers, those afflicted with trem- bling palsy felt fresher and more active on alighting from the cars. The longer the trip lasted, and the worse the line, the more durable was their improvement. | Such testimony, coming from various sources, was not lost. It was for Mir. Charcot the starting point of most curious therapeutical application. MT. Charcot had an armchair constructed, to which a to and fro motion was given by means of an electrical windlass. Long before the invention of the vibrat. ing armchair Dr. Vigouroux conceived the idea of submitting hysterical patients to the vibration of a huge tuNing fork. In this way he cured anasthesias and muscular stiff joints. Other physicians Boudet, of Paris, and Mortimer, of Granville, applied vibrating rods to the treatment of neuralgias facial neuralgia 1 ill particular) and headaches. Granville | devised small electric hammer, anal | ogous to the hammer of electric bells and that was applied to the painful point. Under the influence of the shock repeated hundreds of times within g short period, the pain ceased.
 The method was some time ago singu larly improved by Dr. Gillis de la Tour cite, pupil of MT. Charcot. He had a1 apparatus constructed for the treatment of megrims and nervous headaches; ii was the vibrating helmet. Imagine { helmet of the model of that of old times and very analogous, as to structure, tt the conformation of matters. It is ir fact formed of steel plates that permi of its fitting the head perfectly. Upo1 this helmet, in lieu of crest, there is small alternating current motor of pc culiar construction that makes abou 600 revolutions per minute. At ever, revolution a uniform vibration is propa gated to the metallic plates, and is trans mitted to the cranium that they embrace The cranial walls thus vibrate in thei ensemble, and the vibrations are natur ally transmitted to the entire cerebra apparatus. The sensation is not dis agreeable. The number and intensit of the vibrations, moreover, may b varied according to the tolerance of tn subject. In few minutes sort of gen eral lassitude is experienced, with
 tendency to sleep. .....
 The vibrating helmet has already bee applied to large number of neuras thenic invalids, the majority of who1 have experienced good results from il The process succeeds also against hemi crania, and as this is quite common affection, for which no surely efficaciou remedy is known, the helmet will in short time be seen to come into vogue.- | Nature,