MEDICAL ELECTRICITY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LII, Issue 5807, 6 October 1879, Page 5

MEDICAL ELECTRICITY.

, [BY aEECIAIi EEPOBTEE.] | ‘ Int'de Lyttelton Times of Sept. 'S the lowing paragraph appeared 1 ;—-“Last week Mr, Thomas Broome,'an old and much'respected, resident of: Fast Oxford, was clearing 'some-; land and wheeling a barrow heavily laden; with rushes,-when he was taken‘suddenly with at. severe pain in one arm;’which compelled him to leave off work and seek medical attendance. < Before' long the pain attacked the leg,' and he became prostrate, and since then the whole system has been attackod to such an extent that he is unable to either: sit, lie or stand still, and the constant involuntary action- of his limbs is extremely painful to him. Not recovering at all, ho determined to proceed to Christchurch for further, medical treatment, whither he went yesterday by mid-day train, the journey being undertaken, at great pain to himself, arid evoking the sympathy of'his fellow travellers; Asa proof of the severity of. the attack, it may be said that the Victim of it'has j only had a short sleep of one-hour-and a half in duration since, Wednesday last.”; Mr Broome, on the recommendation of Dr 1 Brins, placed himself under, the. care of Mr Prirkes, Medical Galvanisb, for the treason that Dr Brins, as the medical-adviser,-ini'the,case', felt that a 1 cure would be more .rapidly effected by 'the, judicious, employment of ;e}elS;, tricity as the curative agent. It may,! not, be; out of place to remark that,'“until quite" recently, to venture.to speak of, electricity as: a curative power was pretty certain to result in the speaker being branded'as little better, than ia quack; and oven .howj although! this universal scepticism ha's , disappeared, ninetynine out.of every hundred medical, men,: content themselves with,the. theoretical belief that in certain cases electricity may do good,”, without themselves using or recommencing it. The words quoted are,from. a moderjmhapdbook' pf ; medical and surgical‘.'olectncftyf written by Dr Tibbitts, some time Honorary Medical Superintendent of „ the • English ; National 1 Hospital: > for the Paralysed, arid. Epileptic, As DrVPrihs advised, fhe’ jatierit afflicted with that '. most, distressing ■disease commonly, knowri as St. Yitus’ danco, went at once- to Mr Parke s, and isn o W nearly recovered; the able illustration, of the value of 'electricity,”,",T j 'On Saturday morning, I, had ;the plefisnro of an interview with Mr Broome, and he ex- ■ prCised' his - desire, that, the. particular* i of his case might be,made known, not, ash? put; 'it, for, the gratification of idle ouiiqsity,. fnt 1 ifl' order that the publifmight be. made, .better acquainted with a curative agerikof ,puoh mense value. Mr Broome told me that the' paragraph above quoted,'correctly.described' his symptoms.' At the time of had been- . wheeling an ~ unusually . ’heavy' barrow* load, aided ' by a rope i.across his shoulders, • "While.-'.he .thqa^Tt^ab s the great , pressure ,of the rope .migJtCMW precipitated: .the attack, ho Icori»den?d,:>thatthe disease had really been an progress for; some considerable time,: ah opinion in whioh Dr PHnh edheufs. ;The side, o.fhis; body; was jyeriiy $ fhh ! brain, his bower of wiE;':beipg' r ,afc; 'times' destroyed, although’"his consciousness’'whs; noyerlpst. The, vidleico ofT-tba.disease vfah'l moSbipparerit in k'dajroVWo had tion-td the>nerve i'CeritfeS affected- ’had madei a Bhplyini to-my* queSliotts, SErßSrriotae stated that he flipericneed intense'jriiri frbm !the cute iandlfDrhJtaeb^te’r’ 8 itarilyi i*iriuslyrhaailibyfriori^l&^M^ ready was. ' mitiOtii of-hiSbodyvWe ii^rpeSmal,> though ;thetVaided' l i Umetate bt th» ’atmosphere, itridmthb.mbre. ,iriolenfe«&g« m'fm fdl?liWip he t atmppeddofrn; eirioe no tWnitoenobbld'pcisi-'

was!" knocked to places ip no time, the fiock 1 fiVlh4 a likd'a olo'ua.’*, In wtoihiVhe' ‘ ! feit'easier. *; .‘'On 'Ohrislbhnrhh,*' 'said kind; of I'm. 'un'to a tolfiible iit’dh o«ltoment;,anQ4 bo.,’ ■ lisfeTdisturbeatHb'Whole I ' h»a^6t , ''tßA ( M^^f^uS i cGrifcrol..oyer my self *oh r th<! following gtodte#'Vibllfii(&, uf Mnn^ s ithMe; w : ihnnt; \p#. ’ fine-, and; dp j ai • s kfcds" l '6f ! thlngi , .‘ From . then; X, have t had l^rfeofc', ’ , cTOffljl' bjfer, mysdf, ’ .though ! dtoingtoß!iigfit‘ l |r , sjiqoeediingril .. atmospheric ‘ iSflke‘fiefes. ihstapoe, would-be ‘ suddtiniy V’VetioHcd jrautimlaef me. ~ - During Wjktter .'whafel the ,P nd disegreeable ' <! Hf. dlfy ifitoomydii beini : ; SiS iMlktea'!6nßl'pd.'it.- would to-easy; t« giVe!, 'otfteys, btmS,ly grange] and\ 1 'A?' I ®®#*® 6f;thd kdi;kSfitkgM‘l)^oh'!; ’ deri.ygd,. ,TOfctrf^%'W^^'!.%n 1 0l®. toot that Hr' "jWlWptefbm 1 : df Iwhom are’aotlvmy hnffiiMd fifffih wM,,Uw fewer tlulnfio ! would .Laye xnanj#; moifS. o'* 0 '* people, who teM ■td'bfr'nfifilfie to°(Ms4etooiato galvanism? from 'thoidiA woohs*. -fih'ito) J hi :i ß a iadles 'eTejn-'.pf Bfg&ymitfydUr, lave pfteh sat fey® body dfiair 'tM infivihiice of gadyaqism, tie 'difly thdhoi ■'heintf "Mthb* 1 j!" *.aM has pointed put toatieople^apVfiameJtbi •gd n to' (Sifi-tof ■ ' ih’' spewing of tondibfl'Aftdtri'Kte',' bithlsr findeymuthg lit ‘or spedkhig'tof ! lt o 4^bdom,elixir ritfe/' ‘lt 'lfaij 'hheh J de'mohstrajted ’andl .by ’toihe'’ -'Bf t ‘ £l6'’ : highest ’"' firing : .authpritie'i. tKSt“ it : ’ Will" either 1 ‘ stimulate 1 1 qr soothe! ‘Bbtlf-heyfe lw :i ‘!mutele;’!!acdoVding“!tQ| ‘its ’ viriekVandtobdepf ihhfibktiqri'; it fre-! i W^mf l i^toro , fflroine'qt;' .‘it \ will' J ihfifiatim4 ( hoafifi^'the/;H^% 1 s»d disteiVe < udWly^uak } w%h^%|^ , hf , miHV.dri. , ’ < i! 1 Tt’Hastoßo ih-mind jthat' in tho( Medical elec-, ; 1 thkt;it; shall be te'bntifiuouk'in it8 1 actibrf, n and sppthihg i aiid.' ' yettm*atfv® ifiite' bffbbt.';^ 1 Ah^ 1 \ toaohme ! toll, not do, nor will any fipeffifbi-'j fbr tlbngh we may peffbrm pretty experiments with electricity, liiake'it'irt allSortS 'of 1 ways subservient to our will, and even playing with it, we may jUPSitothsipipunity,/' play the tool 1? / with it, galvanism u'sed by; Mn ParkCs, i* ..known by., the.": specifioi tarm i of.. Faradizfttion, il.gandjoi.afti!' J he-; 'usuallyapplies 4tt the!;:!, patienfrfi; 'may ~."be, said, to 1 be; I ,bathi,ng£.ini: A, goptlel. streamy of - eleotripity, flbwiDg up .the body at the will of tfixe; pperatpr; /; The 1 theory ' upon: which: he workiristoat theA olcptricity will find out for itself ithe'wesA pointsiin the system, and exer-health-giTing power thereon; Nor does he attempt to: diet hia ,patients, the invisible agent;. : doe3 ( that,, andl it,.has ; beea • observed 'again and , again t.that ; where i “ the'old- liver complaint ” . compels ‘a return to the medical galvanist,' the patient, while under treatment has, not,, the; remotest desire for stimulants. Dm Beard and Bock well, who. claim to have had hirgp experience Of ; the use of .electricity, support, the views' expressed ,hy Mr Parkes, for. they argue that “ electrisation, besides being merely a local also exercises ! an, infiuonce over, general 'and local-nutrition,; at pn® o . unique ' and - unrivalled, entitling it to thnhighpsl rank among constitutional tonics.” Further,-.they claim that in various conditions , of, debility they have secured remarkably good results from bke -system of general, as distinguished! fromlocal,application. I,