HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 76

HEALTH COLUMN.

j Galvanism? the Brain. ' — Treatment for Nervous Breakdown. At the present time, owln^, no doubt, to rhe increasing strain of modern life, and parity to the enervating effect? oi our yearly influenza epidemic, doctors are being confronted—with a remarkable number o[ cases of nervous trouble, varying Ln degree from slight nervous debility to coinpleie narrous breakdown, with all its -attendant miseries of depression and weakness. Physicians who have been in praccice 30 years or co tell me that thej fcave noted a really astonish- i ing increase in the number of their "nerve" cases during the last cvscade, and, more- j over, say .ihat the general '"nervous" ten- j dency of all classes of society is steadily i increasing. Consequently, every advance made in the treatment of -theso nervous disorders is of the utmost importance, as, short of prescribing- prolonged rest, doc.ors have been at a loss to successfully treat a very great naauV of the unfortunate victims of the struggle for existence; but rest ' . for several months is usuallj the very last thing that a harassed business or profes- | sional -man. can take, .and . what is badly j wanted ns some lorm of -tireatanent that revive flagging energies withouf upsetting the daity .routine of life. ' T These iequiremente lippear to be oiet, in part" at tea'st, by ,a form oi Jelectrical trea*- ' ment strongly advocated some little while ■ back- by Professor Stephane Lodue; of . N*nte*,:'tKe 'celebrated -authority en medical electricity, aud which has lately -some J into more frequent usa <D this country. , This treatment is nothing more nor lets ' than active galvanisation of the brain liy , (sending through it a powerful electrical cuv- J rent ; this can be done with perfeot safety and excellent results if particular attention is given to certain technical details. Pro- j fessor Ledue's investigations have shown j that a flnicb more powerful current than , one might have supposed can be ueod for ] this treatment, provided that it is se^it through the brain from back to front, or j vice versa, in an absolutely straight direc- j tion, so as to ensure that each half of the brain receives the same amount of curwnt ; for if the brain-cells on one side are gaivtmised more than those on the other unpleasant and sometimes serious symptoms re- j suit. Another very important point is | that ali sudden shocks must by- .ivoiJ^J, which can be done by slowly increasing ' the electric current through the brain from nothing up to the required maximum, and j at the end of the treatment as slowly and steadily reducing it aaain. It would be very dangerous to suddenly apply a strong current to such a sensitive organ as the brain, and just as bad to suddenly cut off a strong current which was passing through j it. 1 In actual practice the patient i 6 seated , in a reclining chair, with one pole of th*> j electric battery applied to -the Sorehead- a&d | the other at the nape of the ' neck. A j very weai;- current is then turned on, and slowly increased to a maximum, at which « it is left Tunning *6r a quarter of an hour ] or longer, ,a£ter which it is steadily weak- ] ened again. The whole sitting lasts for ; about" half an hour, after which patients f ieel refreshed and better able to sope with j nierota.l It is very- probable, judging from results already reported, that j this treatment by galvanisation of the brain will shortly come into very common use j in the treatment of nervous breakdown. — j Daily Telegraph.