This is an interesting monograph on segmental neuralgia, which the authors carefully differentiate from visceral pain, and which appears to be due to the many factors which irritate roots, ganglions or trunks of the spinal sensory nerves. Although the syndrome of segmental pain and tenderness has no specific origin and may be due to toxins, poor posture, trauma, arthritis and malignant metastases, it may be considered a clinical entity from a therapeutic standpoint.
There can be no argument about the help that repeated injections of procaine give in such instances. Controversial, however, is the use of the pitcher plant distillate or its active principle, the ammonium salts, which according to the authors mainly affect the slowly conducting C fibers and thus abolishes pain and tenderness for many months without producing anesthesia or motor paralysis. Nevertheless their experiences with intraspinal injection of ammonium salts would indicate that unpredictable bowel and bladder