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INFLAMMATION AND BRAIN DISEASES. 357
Paraplegia is palsy of the lower part of the body,
from some point in the spinal column.
Shaking Palsy is a general partial paralysis, in ex
haustion, generally from old age.
Paralysis may affect a single organ, limb, or muscle ;
it may also affect either the nerves of motion or sensa
tion, or both. It is generally, however, in the nerves
of motion. It is seldom complete ; and in hemiplegia,
we find the arm worse than the leg, simply because the
latter has been more exercised.
The two causes of palsy are exhaustion and poison
ing. The exhaustion comes generally from amative in
dulgence; the poisoning from tobacco, but the exhaus
tion may come from any labor or excitement of body
or mind, and the poisoning from food, drink, bad air,
etc. The two great causes, however, of all this class
of diseases,
are licentiousness and tobacco. It is sel
dom that we see women affected with them, because
they seldom indulge in both, if they do in either.
Paraplegia may come from apparent disease or in
jury of the spine, or from some derangement of the
digestive organs; more commonly from the latter.
These diseases are seldom cured ; but here, as
everywhere, the water and hygienic treatment have
had their triumphs. We must govern our applications
oy the age and vitality of the patient, and also by the
causes of disease. If there is exhaustion,
we must
give invigorating treatment—if poisoning, we must
wash the offending matter from the system. In every
case there must be a strict diet, and the best possible
conditions. The wet-sheet pack, the douche, long-
continued friction with the hands of strong persons,