Identifier: organicfunctiona00star (find matches)
Title: Organic and functional nervous diseases; a text-book of neurology
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Starr, M. Allen (Moses Allen), 1854-1932
Subjects: Nervous system Nervous System Diseases
Publisher: New York, Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger
Contributing Library: Columbia University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Open Knowledge Commons

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rter in lifting a heavy box resultedin a sudden attack of transverse myelitis attended by hemorrhage, asthe autopsy demonstrated. Falls and blows upon the back are said tobe responsible for some cases of myelitis. When these produce hemor- »Deut. Arch, fur Nerv., April, 1908. 396 MYELITIS AND MYELOMALACIA. rhage the symptoms resulting may be those of a transverse or dissemi-nated lesion, but an acute inflammatory process is rarely set up by thiscause. A low grade of chronic myelitis is known to follow railwayinjuries and other severe injuries of the spine, but cases of an acuteinflammatory myelitis have not been observed. A certain number ofcases of acute myelitis develop after confinement. Whether these aredue to infection by way of the uterus, or whether they are due toanaemia of the cord consequent upon hemorrhage, or whether they aredue to a slowly acting venous congestion due to general enfeeblement,has not been determined. Syphilis is a common cause of acute myelitis. Fig. 177.
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Acute infectious myelitis with multiple hemorrhages,and hemorrhagic infiltration. Case was fatalin twelve days. Entire cord was affected. (Larkin.) If the cord is not affected by gummy exudations in the membranes orsyphilitic deposits within the cord itself, syphilitic changes in the blood-vessels with obliterating endarteritis and consequent thrombosis of thefiner vessels of the cord is the method by which the disease attacks thisorgan. The form of disease described by Erb as syphilitic spasticparalysis has been found to be a chronic myelomalacia of the lowerdorsal region due to endarteritis with secondary degeneration.^ Insome forms of poisoning, notably by lead, mercury, phosphorus, and Lancet, October, 1902. MYELITIS. 397 occasionally alcohol, disseminated foci of myelitis have been discovered,as well as multiple neuritis, and this has led to the supposition thatthe cord may be directly affected by toxins and toxic agents. Thatcertain agents have a selective action upon the spinal

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