Spondylotherapy; Physio and Pharmaco-Therapy and Diagnostic Methods Based on a Study of Clinical Physiology (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1918 Excerpt: ...with the latter and employ concussion exclusively. The Heart And Its Innervation.--A thorough understanding of this subject has an important influence on our therapeutic efforts. In addition to the vagus nerve, the action of which has already been studied, there are motor fibers from the sympathetic system, known as the accelerator nerve of the heart (Fig. 113). Stimulation of the latter, causes an increase in the rate of beat of the heart, but not infrequently the force or energy of the beat may be increased and the rate may remain unaffected. In consequence of the latter effects, physiologists assume that, the accelerator nerve contains fibers which accelerate the rate, and others (augmentors), which cause a more forcible beat. Hering has shown that stimulation of the accelerators may revive a heart that has ceased to beat. The vagi and accelerators are normally in tonic activity. Now, cardiac vigor is not only a muscular but a neuro-muscular question. While muscular tone, as a rule, is secured by vagus-stimulation (the after-effects on this inhibitory nerve being to increase the force of the beat), we have in our discussion ignored the influence of the accelerator nerve. Both nerves are in physiologic antagonism. In a given case of cardiac-insufficiency, it is wise to test the tone of the sympathetic and vagus-fibers according to the methods described on pages 469 and 472, to determine whether our therapy should be sympathicotropic or vagotropic (page 451). In addition to these tests, one may employ the method of demonstrating abnormal irritability of the sympathetic system. In the norm, instillation of a drop of a one per thousand solution of adrenalin into the eye has no effect on the dilator pupilke (page 452), but if the sympathetic system is excitab...