Neuralgia and the diseases that resemble itAnstie, Francis Edmund
Science
Neuralgia and the diseases that resemble it
Anstie, Francis Edmund
Neuralgia
It may be just mentioned here, that she
suffered, twelve months later, from a hemiplegic attack of paralysis.
The tendency of cervico-occipital neuralgias is to spread toward the
lower portions of the face, as observed by Valleix; in this case they
become, sometimes, undistinguishable from neuralgias of the third
division of the trigeminus. In the early stages of the disease, if the
physician had been lucky enough to witness them, the true place of the
origin of the pain would have been easily recognizable; at a later date
it sometimes needs great care, and a very strict interrogation of the
patient, to discover the true history of the disease. Sometimes, even, a
cervico-occipital neuralgia which spreads in this way causes great
irritation and swelling of the submaxillary and cervical glands; and I
have known a case of this kind mistaken for commencing glandular
abscess. The pain and tension were so great in this case, and the
constitutional disturbance was so considerable, that the presence of
deep-seated pus was strongly suspected, and the propriety of an incision
(which would have been a hazardous proceeding) was seriously canvassed.
Experience is too limited, to judge by what I have personally seen, and
the recorded cases with which I am acquainted, to enable us to say
anything with confidence of the conditions, as to age and general
nutrition of the body, which specially favor the occurrence of
cervico-occipital neuralgia. Apparently, however, there is much reason
for thinking that the immediately exciting cause of it is most
frequently external cold. I have known it produced several times in the
same person, by sitting in a draught which blew strongly on the back of
the neck. And I am inclined to think that it is seldom the first form of
neuralgia which attacks a patient, but usually occurs in those who have
previously suffered from neuralgic pains either of the trigeminus or of
some other superficial nerve. I have known it once to occur in a person,
thus predisposed to neuralgic affections, in consequence of reflex
irritation from a carious tooth, as was proved by its cessation on the
extraction of the latter, although there was no facial pain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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