Early in
October he was able to slightly move both legs, and had full
control of urination; from this time on his paralysis rapidly
improved; the battery was applied daily, with massage morning and
evening; and in November the plaster-of-Paris jacket was removed,
and he propelled himself about the ward in a rolling chair, and
shortly after was able to get about slowly on crutches. He was
discharged December 23d, and when I saw him six months later he
walked very well and without effort; he carried a cane, but this
seemed more from habit than from necessity. At present date he
weighs 150 pounds, and drives a huckster wagon for a living,
showing very little loss of motion in his lower extremities."
Although few cases show such wonderful improvement as this one,
statistics prove that the results of this operation are sometimes
most advantageous. Thorburn collects statistics of 50 operations
from 1814 to 1885, undertaken for relief of injuries of the
spinal cord. Lloyd has compiled what is possibly the most
extensive collection of cases of spinal surgery, his cases
including operations for both disease and injury. White has
collected 37 cases of recent date; and Chipault reports two
cases, and collected 33 cases.
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