The orthopragms of the spine : an essay on the curative mechanisms applicable to spinal curvature exemplied by a typical collection lately presented to the Parkes' Museum of Hygiene, University College, London / by Robert Heather Bigg.

  • Bigg, Robert Heather.
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The orthopragms of the spine : an essay on the curative mechanisms applicable to spinal curvature exemplied by a typical collection lately presented to the Parkes' Museum of Hygiene, University College, London / by Robert Heather Bigg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    tlie exemplary engines, sliould their regulation become altered; some would work up to more than one-horse power, some up to less. Now with the ultimate mus- culo-nervous elements .there is every grade of ability for generating force between actual impotence, on the one hand, and exaggerated power, on the other, between paralysis and hardened spastic or tetanic contraction, and further unhealthy causes need not necessarily affect all of these ultimate elements in the same way. Hence it occurs that in the same region of the body or limb some musculo-nervous elements may be much increased, and others much diminished, in power. Side by side, therefore, there may lie two muscles (that is, aggregate collections of musculo-nervous ele- ments under a definite and localised head-centre), which may be much above or much below their ave- rage constitutional power. A disturbance in the regular relations of the mus- culo-nervous elements of a part under voluntary con- trol, as an arm or a leg, must be of tolerable magni- tude before its results can appear as deformity, for, the will being a factor in the question, organic ina- bility is countervailed by volition. But on an invo- luntary part, and the spine has been shown to be ordinarily under involuntary government, the influ- ence of such disturbance is infinitely graver. So that, when from unnatural causes, a disparity is deter- mined in the evenness of the power and action of the elements of the spinal musculo-nervous system, defor- mity ensues. The direct deformity primarily so-called is usually