On myalgia : its nature, causes, and treatment : being a treatise on painful and other affections of the muscular system, which have been frequently mistaken for hysterical, inflammatory, hepatic, uterine, nervous, spinal or other diseases / by Thomas Inman.

  • Inman, Thomas, 1820-1876.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On myalgia : its nature, causes, and treatment : being a treatise on painful and other affections of the muscular system, which have been frequently mistaken for hysterical, inflammatory, hepatic, uterine, nervous, spinal or other diseases / by Thomas Inman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    CHAPTER XVI. Connexion between hysteria and spinal irritation—Hysteria shortly de- scribed—Evidence of constitutional or acquired debility—Law—The greater the debility the greater the excitability of the nervous system —Functions of the nervous system—Mental, sensitive, motor, and organic—One or all may be affected—Over-action a cause of exhaus- tion in muscle—May be so in the nervous system—Over-action in one part of the nervous system is not always followed by symptoms referrible to that particiilai* di-^ision ...... 234 CHAPTER XVII. Insanity an affection of the mental ner-s'ous system—Hj-steria and insanity compared—Causes of insanity—Illustrations dra-mi from ship-wTCck— Hunger, thu'st, misery—Experience ch-awai from lunatic asylums — Influence of diet on the insane—Mania not a disease of strength— Effect of noises, &c. on those Aveakened by loss of blood—Neui-algia— Idiopathic tetanus case—Epilepsy produced by bleeding or excessive debility—Case, Mrs. T.—Convulsions—Chorea—Eflfects of debility on the milk of nurses—Influence of emotion on a weak heart—Influence of anxiety on cancer, &c. ........ 240 CHAPTER XVIII. Application of foregomg obserA'ations—Law—Defuiition of word ii-ritability —Corollary—Sj'mptoms referred to musciilar or nerA^ous systems, or to both, according to cu'cumstances—Case from Griffin, vrith. rumiing commentary—Summary ........ 253 CHAPTER XIX. The value of a medical theory judged by the treatment it involves—The treatment proposed is in accordance A\T.th recognised facts—Sydenham's maxim—Its A'alue—Homceopathy considered—Sympathetic poAvder, its long reign—LaAV—Treatment in recent cases—In confimied—To husband strength—To increase it—Labour to be reduced—Importance of rest—Opiates—Stays — Change of au- — Exercise—Diet—Wine tonics—PurgatiA'es, &c. 268 CHAPTER XX. Treatment of confimied cases—Necessity for tact, knoAvledge, experience, and confidence—The advantage of giA-ing clef n ife hopes—To impart these the doctor must haA^e definite ideas—Influence of hope and despair—Examples—Influence of ncAv remedies in the hands of their discoverers—Of their adopters—Application—Rest of body—Mind— The senses—Rest for the bowels—The stomach—The uterus—Xausca and vomitmg to be relieA-ed by champagne, chloroform, &c.—Anti- spasmodics are only of temporai-y utility—The mind is to be supported —Method of management—The proposed treatment in a bad case detailed—Conclusion ......... 289