railway spine

In the summer of 1915, Captain John D Sandes, the officer in charge of electrotherapy at the temporary Kitchener Indian Hospital set up in Brighton, described his diagnosis of trench back in the British Medical Journal: “In a certain proportion a pronounced psychical factor can be traced, and these cases present features similar in many respects to the condition known as ‘railway spine’ and are always difficult to treat.”

In the 19th century survivors of train crashes were diagnosed with “railway spine” because doctors thought their hysteria was caused by compression of the backbone.

In the 19th century survivors of train crashes were diagnosed with “railway spine” because doctors thought their hysteria was caused by compression of the backbone.

It is called also nerve shock, spinal irritation, railway spine.

It was a trial in which suit was brought to recover damages for personal injury, a good illustration of the “railway spine.”