When operated upon in the manner, hereafter to be described, she felt “a sudden feeling of numbness of the brain,” this feeling travelling upwards from the spot where the pressure was applied, and then immediately following this a sensation which made her say “I am all right.” In a minute or two she got into bed without assistance, lay down on her left side—a position she had not been able to take before—her color became natural, her head felt as if a weight had been removed from it, the dimness of sight disappeared, and a difficulty of raising the lids previously had gone. She remained in bed two hours, and then was able to be dressed and go down stairs. She had no return of the fits and had been quite free from them up to October, 1870.
The other case mentioned by Dr. Hood is given in the words of the patient, who states—
“In July, 1859, I was playing in the garden with my children, when one of them tossed a large indiarubber ball into the adjoining garden, which was separated from my own by a stone wall about six feet high. I procured a pair of steps and got over the wall; and coming back I sat for a few minutes on the top of the wall, and then jumped down, alighting upon the gravel walk. I felt no ill effects from the jump at that time, but, awaking early nest morning I found my left leg very stiff, and supposing this would pass off I went to business as usual; but on walking I experienced pain on the inside of the knee joint, which increased during the day, and at night I could scarcely walk.
“The next morning I sent for my medical man (Mr. A——) who after examining the knee pronounced the injury to be external to the joint, and I think he said some cartilage had been strained. He ordered me to pump cold water on it, which I did for several days; but the pain increased and the knee began to swell. Mr. A—— then ordered leeches to be applied, and afterwards a large blister enveloping the knee.
After this the leg became very rigid at the joint, and flexed so that the heel would not touch the ground, and I could only move from one room to another by the help of crutches. After about two months’ confinement to the house my appetite failed and I became very unwell. I then saw another surgeon (Mr. B——) who thought that there was something forming in the joint, but that my general health was failing, and that I ought to have change of air, so by his and Mr. A——’s advice I went to the sea-side where I remained until November.
“Whilst there I applied sea-weed poultices, and bathed my knee in warm sea water; but was soon obliged to discontinue this treatment as it greatly irritated the joint, which became so tender and painful that I could not bear the weight of the sheet upon it as I lay in bed. The flesh of my thigh began to waste away at this time, and I lost power in my left arm, thumb, and forefinger; so that for some time I was unable to use a fork at meals. I called in a local practitioner (Mr. C——) who gave me medicine; but as he said the pain in the knee was of secondary importance, he did not prescribe for it. I took exercise occasionally in an invalid chair, but, owing to the difficulty of getting down stairs and the vibration of the chair itself, this did me more harm than good.
“I returned home in November, and passed the winter with very little improvement; and having purchased a very easy invalid carriage with shafts for a donkey, went out when the weather permitted.
I continued to apply iodine and kept wet cloths constantly upon the limb to keep down inflammation, and this treatment succeeded in a measure, but only so long as I kept the leg at rest; for on making the smallest attempt to use it the inflammation returned.
In the spring of 1860 it was thought advisable I should consult Sir B. Brodie, and my medical man (Mr. A——) went with me to London; but finding that Sir Benjamin was out of town he took me to Mr. D——, who affected to treat the matter very lightly, and said that I was to take a tonic, which he prescribed, and that as my health improved my knee would get well. He also sent me to a surgical bandage maker, who measured me for a knee cap which was to enable me to walk and take more exercise than I had hitherto done.
This knee cap I was however unable to wear, until some months later, when, the inflammation having subsided, I found it gave me some support; but I was never able to wear it without much discomfort. Up to October 1865 (a period of six years and a quarter) I used crutches—sometimes two, at other times one crutch and a stout stick and was never at ease, the knee always stone cold when in bed or otherwise resting, and hot after exertion of any kind—the pain becoming acute whenever I attempted to use the limb beyond just crossing the room. During this period (six years) I spent a portion of every summer at the seaside, and was withdrawn almost entirely from business. At length after so long a course of treatment, I ceased to seek further advice, believing what I was told, that the cause of all my suffering was constitutional, and I settled down to the conclusion that I should be a cripple for life and that this was unavoidable.