See also:

• NEURALGIA (Gr. veiipov, nerve, and iXyos, pain)

NEURALGIA (Gr. veiipov, See also:

• NERVE (Lat. nervus, Gr. vevpov, a bowstring)

nerve, and iXyos, See also:

• PAIN (from Lat. poena, Gr. robin, penalty, that which must be paid: O. Fr. peine)
• PAIN, BARRY (1867– )

pain)  , a See also:

• TERM

term denoting strictly the existence of See also:

• PAIN (from Lat. poena, Gr. robin, penalty, that which must be paid: O. Fr. peine)
• PAIN, BARRY (1867– )

pain in some portion or through-out the whole of the See also:

• DISTRIBUTION (Lat. distribuere, to deal out)

distribution of a See also:

• NERVE (Lat. nervus, Gr. vevpov, a bowstring)

nerve without any distinctly recognizable structural See also:

• CHANGE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. cambium, cambiare, to barter; the ultimate derivation is probably from the root which appears in the Gr. «a urmu', to bend)

change in the nerve or nerve centres . This strict See also:

• DEFINITION (Lat. definitio, from de-finire, to set limits to, describe)

definition, if adhered to, however, would not be applicable to a large number of cases of See also:

• NEURALGIA (Gr. veiipov, nerve, and iXyos, pain)

neuralgia; for in not a few instances the pain is connected with some source of irritation, by pressure or otherwise, in the course of the affected nerve; and hence the word is generally used to indicate pain affecting a particular nerve or its branches from any cause . There are few ailments which give rise to greater human suffering . The existence of neuralgia usually betokens a depressed or enfeebled See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state of See also:

• HEALTH

health . It is often found to affect the hereditarily rheumatic or gouty . In weakened conditions of the See also:

• SYSTEM

system from improper or insufficient See also:

• FOOD
• FOOD (like the verb " to feed," from a Teutonic root, whence O. Eng. foda; cf. " fodder "; connected with Gr. lrareicOae, to feed)

food, or as a result of any drain upon the See also:

• BODY

body, or in See also:

• ANAEMIA (from Gr. ay-, privative, and aiµa, blood)

anaemia from any cause, and in such diseases as syphilis or See also:

• MALARIA

malaria, neuralgia is a frequent concomitant . Any See also:

• STRAIN (through O. Fr. straindre, estraindre, mod. i treindre, from Lat. stringere, to draw tight, related to stress, stretch, string, &c.)

strain upon the See also:

• NERVOUS

nervous system, such as See also:

• MENTAL

mental overwork or anxiety, is a potent cause; or exposure to See also:

• COLD (in O. Eng. cald and ceald, a word coming ultimately from a root cognate with the Lat. gelu, gelidus, and common in the Teutonic languages, which usually have two distinct forms for the substantive and the adjective, cf. Ger. Kolte, kalt, Dutch koude

cold and See also:

• DAMP

damp, which seems to excite irritation in a nerve already predisposed to suffer . But irritation may be produced by numerous other causes besides this—such as a decayed tooth, diseased See also:

• BONE (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages, in many of which it is confined to the shank of the leg, as in the German Bein)
• BONE, HENRY (1755-1834)

bone, See also:

• LOCAL

local inflammations in which nerves are implicated, by some source of pressure upon a nerve See also:

• TRUNK (Fr. tronc, Lat. truncus, cut off, maimed)

trunk, or by swelling of its sheath in its passage through a bony See also:

• CANAL
• CANAL (from Lat. canalis, " channel " and " kennel " being doublets of the word)

canal or at its exit upon the See also:

• SURFACE

surface . The pain is generally localized, but may come to extend beyond the immediate See also:

• AREA

area of its first occurrence . It is usually of paroxysmal See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character, and not unfrequently periodic, occurring at a certain See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time of the See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day or See also:

• NIGHT

night . It varies in intensity, being often of the most agonizing character, or less severe and more of a tingling See also:

• KIND (O. E. ge-cynde, from the same root as is seen in " kin," supra)

kind . Various forms of perverted nerve See also:

• FUNCTION

function may be found co-existing with or following neuralgia .

Thus there may be hyperaesthesia, See also:

• ANAESTHESIA

anaesthesia, See also:

• PARALYSIS, or PALSY (from Gr. aapal,6a , to relax; Wycliffe has palesy, and another old form of the word is parlesy)

paralysis, or alterations of See also:

• NUTRITION

nutrition, such as wasting of muscles, whitening of the See also:

• HAIR (a word common to Teutonic languages)

hair, &c . The forms in which neuralgia most commonly shows itself are facial neuralgia or See also:

• TIC

tic douloureux, migraine (hemicrania or brow See also:

• AGUE (from Lat. acuta, sharp; sc. febris, fever)

ague), intercostal neuralgia and See also:

• SCIATICA (from a late Lat. corruption, sciaticus, of Gr. ivXca&aKOS, from icxiov, the hip-joint)

sciatica . Facial neuralgia, or tic douloureux, affects the See also:

• GREAT

great nerve of sensation of the See also:

• FACE (from Lat. fades, derived either from facere, to make, or from a root fa-, meaning " appear "; cf. Gr. cbatvstv)

face (fifth nerve), and may occur in one or more of the three divisions in which the nerve is distributed . It is usually confined to one See also:

• SIDE
• SIDE (mod. Eski Adalia)

side . When the first or upper See also:

• DIVISION (from Lat. dividere, to break up into parts, separate)

division of the nerve is involved the pain is mostly See also:

• FELT (cognate with Ger. Filz, Du. vilt, Swed. and Dan. fill; the root is unknown; the word has given Med. Lat. filtrum, " filter ")

felt in the forehead and side of the See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head . It is usually of an intensely See also:

• SHARP, GRANVILLE (1735-1813)
• SHARP, JAMES (1618-1679)
• SHARP, JOHN (1645-1714)
• SHARP, RICHARD (1759-1835)
• SHARP, WILLIAM (1749-1824)
• SHARP, WILLIAM (1856-1905)

sharp, cutting or burning character, either See also:

• CONSTANT, BENJAMIN (1845-1902)

constant or with exacerbations, and often periodic, returning at a certain See also:

• HOUR

hour each day while the attack continues . The skin over the affected See also:

• PART

part is often red and swollen, and, even after the attack has See also:

• ABATED

abated, feels stiff and See also:

• TENDER

tender to the See also:

• TOUCH (derived through Fr. toucher from a common Teutonic and Indo-Germanic root, cf. " tug," " tuck," O. H. Ger. zucchen, to twitch or draw)

touch . In this, as in all forms of neuralgia, there are certain localities where the pain is more intense, these " painful points," as they are called, being for the most part in those places where the branches of the nerves emerge from bony canals or See also:

• PIERCE, FRANKLIN (1804—1869)

pierce the See also:

• FASCIA (Latin for a bandage or fillet)

fascia to ramify in the skin . Hence, in this See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form, the greater severity of the pain above the eyebrow andalong the side of the See also:

• NOSE (O.Eng. nosu, cf. Dutch neus, Swed. nos, snout; the Aix in Provence. Both at Aix and at Lyons he acquired great connexion with O.Eng. nasu is obscure, cf. Ger. Nase, Lat. pares, distinction by his labours during outbreaks of the plague. In nostrils,

nose . There is also pain in the eyelid, redness of the See also:

• EYE
• EYE (O. Eng. edge, Ger. Auge; derived from an Indo-European root also seen in Lat. oc-ulus, the organ of vision (q.v.)

eye, and flow of tears . When the second division of the nerve is affected the pain is chiefly in the cheek and upper See also:

• JAW (Mid. Eng. jawe, jowe and geowe, O. Eng. cheowan, connected with " chaw " and " chew," and in form with " jowl ")

jaw, the painful points being immediately below the See also:

• LOWER

lower eyelid, over the cheek bone, and about the upper See also:

• LIP (a word common in various forms, to Teutonic languages, cf Ger. Lippe, Dan. laebe; Lat. labium is cognate)

lip . When the third division of the nerve suffers the pain affects the lower jaw, and the See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief painful points are in front of the See also:

• EAR (common Teut.; O.E. are, Ger. Ohr, Du. oor, akin to Lat. auris, Gr. ovs)

ear and about the See also:

• CHIN

chin .

Hemicrania, migraine, brow-ague and sick headache are various terms employed to describe what by some is considered to be another form of neuralgia . An attack may come on suddenly, but, in See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general, l:egins by a dull aching pain in the brow or See also:

• TEMPLE
• TEMPLE, FREDERICK (1821-1902)
• TEMPLE, RICHARD
• TEMPLE, SIR RICHARD, BART
• TEMPLE, SIR WILLIAM, BART

temple, which steadily increases in severity and extent, but remains usually limited to one side of the head . It attains at times an extreme degree of violence, and is See also:

• APT

apt to be aggravated by See also:

• MOVEMENT

movement, loud noises or See also:

• BRIGHT, JOHN (1811-188g)
• BRIGHT, SIR CHARLES TILSTON

bright See also:

• LIGHT

light . Accompanying the pain there is more or less of See also:

• NAUSEA (from Gr. vain, a ship)

nausea, and when the attack reaches its height vomiting may occur, after which See also:

• RELIEF

relief comes, especially if See also:

• SLEEP (0. Eng. slcepan; Ger. schlafen; cf. Lat. labi, to glide, and " slip ")

sleep supervene . An attack of this kind may last for a few See also:

• HOURS, CANONICAL

hours or for a whole day, and after it is over the patient feels comparatively well . It may recur. periodically, or, as is more See also:

• COMMON

common, at irregular intervals . During the paroxysms, or even preceding them, certain sensory disturbances may be experienced, more especially affections of See also:

• VISION (from Lat. videre, to see), or SIGHT

vision, such as ocular spectra, hemiopia, diplopia, &c . See also:

• GOUT

Gout, eyestrain and intestinal toxaemia have been put forward as causes of migraine, and See also:

• SIR

Sir W . Gowers regards it as the See also:

• EQUIVALENT

equivalent of a true epileptic attack . Intercostal neuralgia is pain affecting the nerves which emerge from the See also:

• SPINAL

spinal See also:

• CORD (derived through the Fr. corde, from the Lat. chorda, Gr. xop(5rt, the string of a musical instrument)

cord and run along the spaces between the ribs to the front of the body . This form of neuralgia affects the See also:

• LEFT

left side more than the right, is much more common in See also:

• WOMEN

women than in men, and occurs generally in enfeebled states of health . It might be mistaken for See also:

• PLEURISY, or PLEURITIS (Gr. srXeiipc =ribs)

pleurisy or some inflammatory See also:

• AFFECTION (Lat. ad, and facere, to do something to, sc. a person)

affection of the lungs; but the See also:

• ABSENCE (Lat. absentia)

absence of any See also:

• CHEST (Gr. Kiarl, Lat. cista, O. Eng. cist, test, &c.)

chest symptoms, its occurrence independently of the acts of respiration, and other considerations well establish the distinction .

The specially painful points are chiefly at the commencement of the nerve as it issues from the spinal canal, and at the extremities towards the front of the body, where it breaks up into filaments which ramify in the skin . This form of neuralgia is occasionally the precursor of an attack of shingles (See also:

• HERPES (from the Gr. 'paety, to creep)

Herpes zoster) as well as a result of it . Sciatica is another of the more common forms of neuralgia . It affects the great sciatic nerve which emerges from the See also:

• PELVIS (Lat. for " basin," cf. Gr. 7rEX?a )

pelvis and runs down 'the See also:

• LEG
• LEG (a word of Scandinavian origin, from the Old Norwegian leggr, cf. Swed. lagg, Dan. laeg; the O. Eng. word was sceanca, shank)

leg to the See also:

• FOOT

foot . It is in most instances traceable to exposure to- cold or damp, to overuse of the limbs it walking, &c . Any source of pressure upon the nerve within the pelvis, such as may be produced by a See also:

• TUMOUR (Lat. tumor, a swelling)

tumour or even by See also:

• CONSTIPATION (from Lat. constipare, to press closely together, whence also the adjective " costive ")

constipation of the bowels, may excite an attack of sciatica . It is often connected with a rheumatic or gouty constitution . In general the nerve of one side only is affected . The pain which is felt at first a little behind the See also:

• HIP

hip-See also:

• JOINT (through Fr. from Lat. junctum, jungere, to join)

joint steadily increases in severity and extends along the course of the nerve and its branches in many instances as far as the toes . The specially painful points are about the See also:

• KNEE (O. E. cneow, a word common to Indo-European languages, cf. Ger. Knie, Fr. genou, Span. hinojo, Lat. genu, Gr. ybvv, Sansk. janu)

knee and See also:

• ANKLE

ankle See also:

• JOINTS

joints; besides which a feeling of numbness is experienced throughout the whole See also:

• LIMB

limb . In severe cases all movement of the limb aggravates the pain, and the patient is obliged to remain in See also:

• BED
• BED (a common Teutonic word, cf. German Bett, probably connected with the Indo-European root bhodh, seen in the Lat. fodere, to dig; so " a dug-out place " for safe resting, or in the same sense as a garden " bed ")

bed . In prolonged attacks the limb may See also:

• WASTE (O. Fr. wast, guast, gast, gaste; Lat. vastus, vast, desolate)

waste and be See also:

• DRAWN

drawn up and fixed in one position .

Attacks of sciatica are often attended with great suffering, and are apt to be very intractable to treatment . In the treatment of all forms of neuralgia it is of first importance to ascertain if possible whether any constitutional morbid See also:

• CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

condition is associated with the malady . When the attack is periodic the See also:

• ADMINISTRATION (Lat. administrare, to serve)

administration of a large dose of See also:

• QUININE

quinine two or three hours previous to the usual time of the seizure will often mitigate, and may even prevent the See also:

• PAROXYSM (Med. Lat. paroxysntus, from the Gr. wapotbvety, to make sharp, odes)

paroxysm . Many topical applications are of great efficacy . Liniments containing See also:

• OPIUM (Gr. amov, dim. from Orbs, juice)

opium, See also:

• BELLADONNA (from the Ital. belle donna, " beautiful lady," the berries having been used as a cosmetic)

belladonna or See also:

• ACONITE (Aconitum)

aconite rubbed into the affected part will often soothe the most severe local pain . And antipyrin, See also:

• PHENACETIN

phenacetin, aspirin and similar analgetics are commonly taken . The See also:

• PLAN
• PLAN (from Lat. planes, flat)

plan at one time resorted to of dividing or excising a portion of the affected nerve is now seldom employed, but the operation of nerve-stretching in some forms of neuralgia, notably sciatica, is sometimes successful . It consists in cutting down upon and exposing the nerve, and in seizing hold and See also:

• DRAWING

drawing upon it so as to stretch it . Such an operation is obviously justifiable only in cases where other less severe See also:

• MEASURES

measures have failed to give relief . The employment of See also:

• ELECTRICITY

electricity, in See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long continued and intractable forms of neuralgia, proves in many instances eminently serviceable . In the severest forms of tic doloureux See also:

• COMPLETE

complete relief has followed the extirpation of the Gasserian ganglion . (F .

W .