Practical observations on distortions of the spine, chest, and limbs : together with remarks on paralytic and other diseases connected with impaired or defective motion / by William Tilleard Ward.

  • Ward, William Tilleard.
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical observations on distortions of the spine, chest, and limbs : together with remarks on paralytic and other diseases connected with impaired or defective motion / by William Tilleard Ward. 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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    first occurrence of the disease, is confirmed by the method of cure, which, however it may differ as to the particular mode of conducting it, is founded on the principle of giving increased action to those muscles of the spine which have been weakened and extended, and thereby equalizing their contractile power with that of their antago- nists. I cannot but advert, on this occasion, to the ill- judged practice of mothers, who, with a desire of giving their daughters a fine shape, or of prevent- ing, or removing deformity, endeavour to effect it by the fashionable use of stays, and other equally bad means of support. The materials of which these are usually formed, are either whalebone or steel, and therefore yield little to the natural action of the parts to which they are designed to give support. The motion of the intermediate parts of the spine must by this means be greatly circum- scribed, the action of the muscles attached to the trunk impeded, the necessary determination and circulation of blood through their substance less- ened, and of necessity their size and power dimi- nished, thus defeating the object in view, and in- creasing or perpetuating the deformity they are intended to remedy. The same may be also said of pressure made on the chest by any other similar means which may impede the free action of the muscles of respiration. I have thought it useful to extract the following