Spasm

Spasm, the involuntary contraction of muscle. Spasm is tonic or clonic. [CONVULSION.] The ordinary "cramp" affecting the muscles of the calves of the legs is a good instance of muscular spasm. In tetany (q.v.) the spasm affects the mnscles of the hands and feet. The muscles of the eyes are sometimes thrown into a condition of spasm producing deviation of the eyeballs such as occurs in the "inward fits" of children. Contraction of the muscles which close the eyelids produces what is known as blepharo-spasm. When the muscles of the mouth are affected, cynic spasm is produced. The common form of wry-neck is due to muscular spasm. Epilepsy, chorea and tetanus are dieases in which spasm of muscles plays an essential part. Spastic paraplegia is a condition met with in a peculiar form of disease affecting the spinal cord.