Wry Neck. Torticollis.

IN this complaint, the head is drawn over towards one of the shoulders, with the face generally turned towards the opposite side. This is caused by the rigid contraction of a particular muscle. In some instances, however, other muscles are affected, and the head may be drawn in other directions, or be twitched about in various ways.
I had a singular case from New Hampshire, which, though not exactly wry neck, was a kindred disease, and is worthy of being mentioned. The subject of it was a young lady of good physical development, but inclined to nervous complaints. Her head was chiefly drawn over backwards, sometimes so as to lie for a short time flat upon the back, with no power to raise it. She was obliged, ordinarily, to let her head lean a; little to one side, and rest upon the hand, in order to keep it steady. When walking, with the head erect, without this support, it was every few moments jerked over backward and a little to one side, the chin being thrown up in a most unseemly way. The case partook of the nature of chorea.

Treatment. For the genuine wry neck, where the muscle which draws the head to one side is rigid and inflamed, the treatment should consist of heat, poultices, purgatives, friction and alteratives. When the muscles causing the distortion are not rigid, electro magnetism, or the shower bath, may have a good effect. In some cases, strychnine will do well.
The peculiar case mentioned above completely recovered, under the use of the extract of St. Ignatius' bean (95), one pill three times a day, and gradually increased to nine pills a day. She also took iron, and was put upon a most energetic system of out door exercise. Considering the stubborn and severe nature of the complaint, her complete recovery was as unexpected to her friends as it was gratifying. As the majority of wry neck cases are due to muscular contraction of a rheumatic type, the remedies employed for that disease should be used here. In all cases the hot applications should not be lost sight of.