Читать книгу On the Curability of Certain Forms of Insanity, Epilepsy, Catalepsy, and Hysteria in Females онлайн

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Other practitioners follow Dr. Brown-Séquard’s plan of applying actual cautery to the irritant nerve; and many more have advanced as far as the operation—which I was formerly in the habit of practising—subcutaneous division of the nerve. I have long abandoned this method as being no more certain in its effect than kindred operations on various branches of the fifth nerve for tic doloureux.

Another objection has been made that several of my cases have not been permanently cured, but have had relapses in a few weeks or months. This must necessarily be so with all new methods of treatment; but each such case is of incalculable importance, as teaching me to exclude any but temporary hope of relief to some, while to others I can speak all the more positively as to their ultimate permanent recovery.

Experience seems to teach that in those patients whose brains have been so weakened by long-continued peripheral excitement, causing frequent and increasing losses of nerve force, there is not sufficient mental power to enable them to control any less powerful irritation of smaller branches of the pudic nerve, than that removed by operation.