Metalloscopy and expectant attention / by D. Hack Tuke.

  • Tuke, Daniel Hack, 1827-1895.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Metalloscopy and expectant attention / by D. Hack Tuke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    o O by D. Hack Tuke, M.D. ' with the above local return of sensation, there was anaes- thesia over the left temple—pricking there with the pin causing no flinching1 or exhibition of discomfort. In this case, befere the magnet was applied, the left eye was closed, and the patieut was requested to distinguish cer- tain colours which were placed before her—i*ed, violet, yellow, green, blue, &c. She named red correctly, but in regard to all the others, she responded that they were white. The trial was repeated after the magnet had been applied to the temple as described. She then gradually acquired the power of distinguishing them, and in the following order—blue, green, yellow, violet. M. Charcot stated that he had observed the same order of returning perception of colours in other cases, both in and out of Salpetriere. In another experiment on this girl, the right hand was subjected to the influence of galvanism, having been pre- viously demonsti’ated to be insensible to the prick of the pin. After a little while the feeling returned in the hand, and it was stated by M. Vigouroux that, with a stronger current, the whole arm would become sensitive. Along with this return of sensibility there was a transference of anaesthesia to the left hand. The last experiment upon this case was with the electrifying machine. The application of electricity induced sensibility on the right side. There was, however, in this experiment, no transference of anaesthesia. I understood that the sensi- bility caused by the repeated use of the electrifying machine lasted a considerable time. In this experiment the power to distinguish colours by the right eve returned. I was informed by M. Vigouroux that the metal which acts the most frequently in removing anaesthesia or increasing the temperature and producing other phenomena of metal is iron; then comes zinc, then copper, gold, silver, &c. So that, out of 100 persons subject to anaesthesia, 70 or 80 would be cer- tainly found sensitive to the action in one way or other of iron; whilst the remaining 20 or 30 will be so in regard to one of the other metals. Many people are sensitive to two metals at once (as gold and zinc) and even more. Briefly, it may be stated, that it is alleged that the application of a certain metal upon a part affected with anaesthesia (1st), restores sensibility; (2nd) causes sensibility to disappear on the other side; (3rd), after the removal of the metal the sensibility remains for some time ; (4th), lastly, it dig-