Excerpt

Relief of pain has ever been one of the cardinal functions of the physician. To this end possibly more time and energy have been devoted than to any of the other variegated healing practices, with the result that great strides have been taken toward perfecting anesthesia and analgesia as well as mechanical and surgical procedures for alleviating pain. Among the neurosurgical procedures that have been employed in the past may be listed alcohol injection of peripheral nerves, nerve section, sympathectomy, vagotomy, and chordotomy with division of the pain tracts in the spinal cord. Nevertheless, certain instances of intractable pain have...