Observations on functional affections of the spinal cord and ganglionic system of nerves, in which their identity with sympathetic, nervous, and imitative diseases is illustrated / by William Griffin and by Daniel Griffin.

Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on functional affections of the spinal cord and ganglionic system of nerves, in which their identity with sympathetic, nervous, and imitative diseases is illustrated / by William Griffin and by Daniel Griffin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    99/272 (page 75)
    are wholly dependent upon the ganglionic system for the exercise of their functions, they are strictly subject to the influence of the brain and spinal marrow; and we are hence at a loss to conceive why the spinal tenderness should be mentioned by Mr. Teale as an argument for ganglionic disease, when the most obvious conclusion would be that it indicated an affection of the cord. It seems difficult to ex- plain, too, why, in some cases exhibiting intense symptoms of ganglionic disease, this tenderness should be wholly absent. It may indeed be said, with great truth, that many instances of spinal disease occur, in which the tenderness is very limited, and nowise proportioned to the symptoins. Of such it is only fair to admit a strong probability, that the ganglia are the true seat of the disease *. It appeared irom Dr. Philip’s experiments, that to pro- duce any powerful effect on the heart and blood-vessels, it was necessary to stimulate a large portion of the brain and spinal marrow. The same fact is observable in the diseases of irritation; as most severe cases of palpitation, syncope, &c. not occasioned by organic disease, are marked by uni- versal tenderness of the spine. We have, nevertheless, often met with these symptoms connected with tenderness of minute points, especially of the cervical portion; and whether this be owing to a peculiar sensation occasioned at the tender part, and acting on the whole cord, or, in the latter case, to an affection of the pneumo-gastric nerves, which have so considerable a share in forming the cardiac, or, finally, to an affection of the cervical ganglia, it is diffi- cult to determine. For illustrations on this subject, instead of extracts from our note-book, we might perhaps refer with more advantage to an essay by Dr. Darwall, of Birming- ham, of which we have only been fortunate enough to see an interesting nortce. Nothing can be more accurate than his delineations of these affections. We shall only venture to offer two or three cases, commencing with one resulting * We shall have occasion to speak of them more particularly in another part of this work, to which we beg to direct the attention of our readers.