A text-book on hygiene and pediatrics from a chiropractic standpoint

by J. H. Craven

Major Adjustment

It is maintained by most authorities that this nervousness is inherited, but it has been demonstrated clinically by Chiropractic that results are readily obtained by chiropractic adjustments. It is reasonable to assume that there are environmental conditions which might produce nervousness even in the small infant, but it is also recognized that if the child is normal he soon becomes accustomed to the peculiarities of the environment and pays little or no attention to them. Subluxations in the cervical region, usually atlas or axis, are found in these children. These subluxations may produce sufficient cord pressure to cause such symptoms as usually manifest themselves in malnutrition as so-called nervous indigestion and other symptoms which would indicate constitutional disorders. A very careful analysis reveals that the nervousness in some of these cases is adaptative to some other incoördination. If the nervousness is direct the major adjustment will be Up.C. with a possible combination of C.P. and K.P. If the nervousness is adaptative, then a very careful analysis must be made to determine the incoördination to which it is adaptative. The major then will be determined by the location and the family involved.

CONVULSIONS

A convulsion is a violent involuntary contraction of muscles which ordinarily contract only under direction of the will. It may be either clonic or tonic. A clonic convulsion consists of a spasm of the muscles with alternating contractions and relaxations while the tonic spasm consists in constant rigidity of the muscles involved. The contractions may be confined to certain muscles or sets of muscles as, for example, the muscles of the face, the trunk or the extremities. In some cases the muscles of the entire body are involved.

During the first eighteen months of life the child is more susceptible to convulsions than at a later age, although the condition is rather common during childhood. Convulsions accompany many incoördinations and are considered adaptative to some other condition. Therefore the first thing to consider in a case of this kind is the primary condition or the incoördination to which the convulsion is adaptative.

The more common conditions with which convulsions are associated are: Incoördinations involving the nervous system, such as cerebra-spinal conditions; rachitis; and organic and functional disorders. Any condition which produces an irritation of the nervous system may result in a convulsion of more or less violence. For this reason children are often subject to convulsions during dentition and disorders resulting in slight temperature. Cerebral tumors, abscesses of the brain, hydrocephalus and meningitis are examples of cerebral conditions in which convulsions are commonly found.

Subluxations in the upper cervical region are often produced at the time of birth which cause cord pressure, making the child susceptible to all conditions that would irritate the nervous system.

There may be K.P. subluxations interfering with the process of elimination resulting in an accumulation of poison within the body, or there may be other subluxations resulting in the production of toxines within the body and these will produce an irritation of the nervous system resulting in convulsions. Disturbances in digestion, affections of the respiratory tract, a sudden rise of temperature and incoördinations involving the gastro-intestinal tract are often responsible for convulsions. Convulsions are quite frequent at the onset of acute dis-eases such as whooping-cough, measles and mumps. They are often associated with enlargement of the thymus gland.

During the convulsion there may be loss of consciousness with tonic and clonic spasms in various degrees of severity. The urine may be voided and the bowels evacuated. In the very young infant a single attack may prove fatal, although this is rather unusual. When death occurs in this way it is most often due to asphyxia, or when the convulsions recur in rapid succession death will result from exhaustion.

The clinical picture is quite typical. Usually there is pallor of the face which may be followed quickly with a twitching of the facial muscles, and sometimes those of the hands and feet. In most cases the attack comes on without warning; the eyes become fixed and rolled backward; the twitching usually begins in the face and very soon the entire body is involved. The face is distorted by muscular contractions, the head is drawn backward and the neck is thrown forward; there may be frothing at the mouth. The pulse is irregular and weak, the respiration is shallow and feeble while there is cold perspiration of the forehead and it may also be on the body. The thumbs are turned into the palms and the hands are tightly closed. There is rhythmical convulsive movements consisting of alternating flexion and extension.