CASE I.
George Mc’Laughlan, about 30 years of age, a Bricklayer by employment, came to my house in November last, supporting himself by a stick in one hand, and resting the other against the wall, as he proceeded. The body was bent at nearly right angles with the thighs, and his countenance indicated acute suffering. He had been attacked, he said, three days before, with darting excruciating pains in the loins and hips; every motion of the body produced an acute spasmodic pain, resembling an electric shock; and the attempt to raise the body to an upright position was attended by such insupportable agony, as obliged him to continue in this state of flexion rather than encounter it by altering his position. There was no more constitutional disturbance than was to be expected from three days and nights of constant pain; the pulse was a little quickened, and the tongue white, but I attributed this derangement to the irritation set up by the pain and loss of rest. I directed him to place himself across a chair for support during the operation, and I immediately introduced a needle of an inch and a half in length into the lumbar mass on the right side of the spine; in two minutes time I observed that he seemed to rest the weight of his body more on his limbs, and in the next instant, without any enquiry being made, he observed, that he felt his limbs stronger from the “pain having left his hips.” He next plainly indicated that the disease was lessened, by raising his body; from which he only desisted, by being desired to remain at rest, through fear of the needle being broken. The instrument having remained in its place about six minutes, the patient declared he felt no pain, and could, if he were permitted, raise himself upright; it was then withdrawn; the man arose, adjusted his dress, expressed his astonishment and delight at the sudden removal of his disease, and having made the most grateful acknowledgements, left the house with a facility as though he had never been afflicted. The relief was no doubt permanent, as he did not return, which he would most probably have done, had he suffered a relapse.