Volume 1

Health lectures for the people.

Date:
1883-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health lectures for the people. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    632/896 (page 166)
    The two grand characteristic symptoms of chronic rheumatism are, pain and stiffness. These are felt either in the joints them- selves, or in the structures more immediately implicated in their movements, or in the muscles. So severe and so long continued are these affections of the joints, that ultimately they become enlarged, disorganised, and distorted. The poor sufferer becomes helpless and bed-ridden; his general constitution is entirely shattered; he becomes emaciated, anaemic, and debilitated; in fact, he is a helpless cripple. Examples of these unfortunate victims of chronic articular rheumatism may be met with in every workhouse infirmary. This condition is brought about by re- peated attacks of the subacute variety, one probably succeeding the other at such short intervals, that the patient has barely recovered from the first attack, before, apparently without any assignable cause, he is laid down again with another of probably equal, it may be even greater intensity; until, finally, he is really never free from this harassing, distressing pain. But happily rheumatism does not always proceed to such lengths; and although certain persons suffer severely enough from their articular pains, they always experience intervals, of varying length, of complete immunity from their aches and pains. In such cases the affection is usually limited, at least, for a long time, it may be years, to one joint. The pain experienced is of a dull aching character, varied with occasional severe twinges ; the joint becomes swollen and tender to touch, the limb feels heavy; there is manifest disinclination to make use of it, for movement of the joint greatly aggravates the pain. This is usually worse in bed; but if the patient could only be persuaded to permit movement of the joint to be made for him, he would soon discover that, after the first immediate aggravation of the pain had subsided, he was able to move the limb with comparative ease and freedom from pain. The stiffness and pain are materially relieved by this passive movement of the limb. Very often, when the joints are not the seat of pain, it will be observed that they have a tendency to creak when particular movements of them are made, and they feel stiff and dry.