ABDOMINAL RIGIDITY

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Abstract
IT HAS been common practice to include all the injuries to the spinal cord arising out of indirect violence in the one term "spinal concussion." For the purpose of this paper, the more definite term "concussion of the spinal cord" seems better and will be used. It signifies the presence in the spinal cord of a physiologic state similar to that in the cerebrum when the term "cerebral concussion" is used. In concussion of the spinal cord a transitory functional, and perhaps structural, disturbance of the spinal cord is incurred consequent to indirect trauma to the cord. This definition emphasizes the functional reversibility of the injury to the cord and makes it evident that recovery occurs in a relatively short time, that is, from a few hours to a few days. The reports in the literature and my experience in World War II indicate that functional recovery should occur in