MYELITIS (from Greek pi/a*: mar row), an inflammation, attended with more or less softening, of the substance of the spinal cord. It may be acute or chronic and is a rare disease. Some of the maladies formerly ascribed to chronic myelitis are now known to be due to chronic induration and thickening (sclerosis). The most common causes of myelitis are: irritation of the cord by fractured, dislocated or diseased vertebra, by the pres sure of a tumor, or by hemorrhage into its sub stance. The disease is aggravated by intem perate habits. It begins usually with pain or other uncomfortable sensations in the spine or extremities, and fatigue, followed by an uncer tain gait, paralysis and very frequently death. There are four different forms of the disease according to the position of the inflammation, which may be in the midthoracic region, the most common form, or in the lumbar or lum bosacral region, in the cervical region or it may, instead of affecting only a certain definite locality such as those already mentioned, in volve a number of small areas in the whole length of the cord and brain. This form is
called disseminated myelitis. If the inflamma tion involves the upper part of the cord above the origin of the respiratory nerves, respiration is interfered with and death results from an. phyxia. This is, however, exceedingly rare. If the inflammation exists lower down, in addi tion to the loss of motor power in the extrem ities the bladder and rectum may be paralyzed, the evacuations are discharged involuntarily and death occurs from exhaustion. The tend ency of the inflammation is to spread. Treat ment consists of salvarsan and mercury for the cases of syphlitic origin. Absolute rest in bed must be required, an air or water bed being preferable as bed sores are very likely to occur.