Cases of cholera collected at Paris : in the month of April, 1832, in the wards of MM. Andral and Louis, at the Hospital La Pitié / by James Jackson, Jr.

  • Jackson, James, Jr., 1810-1834.
Date:
1832
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of cholera collected at Paris : in the month of April, 1832, in the wards of MM. Andral and Louis, at the Hospital La Pitié / by James Jackson, Jr. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    be thought to undervalue the distinction between a mor- bid action, which is limited to the free surface, and one whose seat is in the substance of the membrane itself. This distinction is certainly of great importance, because the results or effects of the two processes upon the struc- ture of the membrane are very different. But this seems to me consistent with the belief that the processes them- selves are essentially the same. 1 insist upon this point, because it has been stated by many observers of cholera, and the opinion still prevails to a very considerable extent, that pathological anatomy throws no light upon the nature of the disease. For my- self, though unable to explain numerous phenomena and symptoms, without the supposition of some more general affection of the system, I must believe, from the phenom- ena in the dead body, that this local affection of the sto- mach and bowels is an essential and a very important element of cholera. I ought perhaps to have mentioned the enlargement of Brunner's glands among the evidences of inflammation of the mucous membranes. It was in truth one of the most constant of the morbid changes. But 1 omitted it, because I feel some uncertainty as to the relation be- tween this enlargement of the secretory organs and in- flammation. But there is yet more to be learned from pathological anatomy. By it we discover, what it would have been impossible to gain a knowledge of otherwise: I refer to those latent inflammations of the lungs, which so frequent- ly occur during the stage of reaction. These, from their frequency and from the part they must necessarily bear ■in producing the death of the patient, are all important and deserving of our most serious attention. Let us re- member that, of ten cases of death after reaction, in which the subjects were dissected, the lungs were found to be hepatized in five ; and that in these five the pneumonia was latent. To these we may add four other cases, of which we have given detailed notes; and may here make men-