Prolonged contracture of the chewing muscles

Among the numerous symptoms, which are expressed by the functional and organic lesions of the nervous system, contracture of the masticatory muscles, trismus, occupies far from the last place, arising under the influence of very different conditions. Most often, it develops on the basis of general neuroses and in such a case it differs for the most part in a transient character. Quite often, we can also observe the reflex origin of this contracture, especially with irritation of the sensitive nerves of the trigeminal nerve; known ex. cases when a minor dental operation in nervous subjects had as its result the reduction of the jaws, which lasted up to three months (observation of Travers'a).