-vessels of the spinal
marrow. When the child gets well the congestion has passed away; but it
does this speedily, and recovery is then rapid as well as complete. If
it does not soon pass away, other changes take place in the spinal
marrow, and recovery is then slow, incomplete, or even does not take
place at all.

Remedies are unfortunately of little avail here, but it is evident that
when the palsy is quite recent all movement of the limb must be
mischievous, and that the congestion of the spinal marrow to which it is
due will be most likely to abate under the influence of perfect quiet,
rest in bed, and soothing or fever medicines, or of such as are
calculated to overcome constipation, or to correct any fault of
digestion, while the importance of teething, and the possible expediency
of lancing the gums must not be forgotten.

Afterwards comes the time for exercise of the paralysed limb, for
friction, for shampooing, for galvanism; all continued perhaps for
months or years with unwearied patience, and I must add with reasonable
expectations as to the result. The only additional remark which I have
to make is this, that to gain any real good from galvanism, a battery
must be procured under the direction of some medical man specially
skilled in the use of electricity, and the mode of employing it must be
learned thoroughly from him. It is merely idle to purchase a toy
machine, and, giving it to the nurse to turn the handle for ten minutes
twice a day, to fancy that you are making a serious trial of the effects
of galvanism. As a mere money question, a costly machine, and several
fees paid in order to be thoroughly instructed in the way to use it, is
much cheaper than a cripple child.

A few words may not be out of place with reference to cases in which
paralysis is mistakenly supposed to exist. Much anxiety is sometimes
expressed by parents concerning children who have long passed the usual
age without making any attempt to walk; or who having once walked seem
to have lost that power. Now it often happens that after any weakening
illness a child ceases for some weeks to walk, just as it ceases to
talk. The power in both cases was newly acquired, it called for effort
which, when strength is regained, will be put forth once more. The same
applies to other instances in which children are late in learning to
walk; or who, having once walked, leave off walking when a back tooth,
or when one of the eye teeth is coming nea