In compliance with your request, I send you the following account
of what I can at present recollect relating to the effects of
electricity in paralytic cases, which have fallen under my
observation.
Some years since, when the news-papers made mention of great cures
performed in Italy and Germany, by means of electricity, a number of
paralytics were brought to me from different parts of Pensylvania,
and the neighbouring provinces, to be electrised, which I did for
them at their request. My method was, to place the patient first in a
chair, on an electric stool, and draw a number of large strong sparks
from all parts of the affected limb or side. Then I fully charged
two six-gallon glass jars, each of which had about three square feet
of surface coated; and I sent the united shock of these through
the affected limb or limbs, repeating the stroke commonly three
times each day. The first thing observed, was an immediate greater
sensible warmth in the lame limbs that had received the stroke than
in the others; and the next morning the patients usually related,
that they had in the night felt a pricking sensation in the flesh of
the paralytic limbs; and would sometimes show a number of small red
spots, which they supposed were occasioned by those prickings. The
limbs, too, were found more capable of voluntary motion, and seemed
to receive strength. A man, for instance, who could not the first day
lift the lame hand from off his knee, would the next day raise it
four or five inches, the third day higher; and on the fifth day was
able, but with a feeble languid motion, to take off his hat. These
appearances gave great spirits to the patients, and made them hope
a perfect cure; but I do not remember that I ever saw any amendment
after the fifth day; which the patients perceiving, and finding
the shocks pretty severe, they became discouraged, went home, and
in a short time relapsed; so that I never knew any advantage from
electricity in palsies that was permanent. And how far the apparent
temporary advantage might arise from the exercise in the patients
journey, and coming daily to my house, or from the spirits given by
the hope of success, enabling them to exert more strength in moving
their limbs, I will not pretend to say.
Perhaps some permanent advantage might have been obtained, if the
electric shocks had been accompanied with proper medicine and
regimen, under the direction a skilful physician. It may be, too,
that a few great strokes, as given in my method, may not be so proper
as many small ones; since by the account from Scotland of a case, in
which two hundred shocks from a phial were given daily, it seems,
that a perfect cure has been made. As to any uncommon strength
supposed to be in the machine used in that case, I imagine it could
have no share in the effect produced; since the strength of the shock
from charged glass, is in proportion to the quantity of surface of
the glass coated; so that my shocks from those large jars, must have
been much greater than any that could be received from a phial held
in the hand.