THE object of this lecture is to consider the modem physiological conception of muscle structure, muscle contraction and muscle tone, and the relationship these should bear to our conception and practice of Physical Medicine as it is today. The concept of muscle tone seems to be of importance and has often been discussed in
In the vayious atteiiipts of aiialyaing the illyotonic reaction, both the origin and the special-type of coiitraction have been interpreted in different ways.As to the origin of the inyotonic reaction, it is the question whether the phenonienon is caused by repetitive impulses from the central nervous system-impulses which might be produced by reflex from the periphery-or whether the abnormality exclnsively is loc.ated peripherally.The special foimi of contractioii iiiay be either a protracted lrtanic coiitraction OP a type of contraction associated with special structures and processes which-as far as we know at the time being-do not play any rGlr for the coiitraction in normal iiiuscles.These possibilities are discussed extensively in the literature. Also the electroyhysiological treatment of the problem has led to ambiguous results in the case of congenital myotonia in man. In 1913, Cb-egol. and Schilder were the first to apply this method to a case of congenital inyotonia and they concluded that the location of tlie disease was central. Schiifer (1921) presumes a peripheral localization to the sarcoplasiii to wliich he ascribes ;L tonic functioii not iiiore closely explicable. Lindsley and Ciul-men
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