Paralysis and other diseases of the nervous system in childhood and early life.

  • Taylor, James.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Paralysis and other diseases of the nervous system in childhood and early life. 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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    involves the extensor muscles of the neck alone and then the deep muscles—complexus, semi-spinalis colli, trachelo- mastoid, etc.—are affected rather than the superficial muscles (trapezius and splenitis). The probable explanation of this condition is that in a position of extreme extension, such as is assumed in posterior basic meningitis, the super- ficial muscles are by that position placed in a condition of passive insufficiency and cannot act in supporting the Fig. 1.—Extreme opisthotonos in basic meningitis. extended position, their points of attachment being too close together. The deep muscles are hard and tender to the touch, and any attempt to overcome the extension is accompanied by great pain. There is never any position of torticollis. In some cases this tonic spasm involves the erector spinee, partially or completely, and a most severe degree of opisthotonos may result, as, for example, in an infant of nine months in which a bald patch had been worn upon the back of the head by constant friction against the sacrum. This patient recovered completely.