On diseases of the throat and windpipe : as reflected by the laryngoscope; a complete manual upon their diagnosis and treatment.

  • Gibb, G. Duncan (George Duncan), Sir, 1821-1876.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On diseases of the throat and windpipe : as reflected by the laryngoscope; a complete manual upon their diagnosis and treatment. 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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    which can scarcely find its way out of the mouth, so to speak; it is in a low tone, although not lost, and speaking produces great langour. A person thus affected is most disinclined to converse, and can scarcely describe the symptoms of his complaint. Perhaps the majority of these cases is observable in the young, who have, among other causes, indulged in pleasures of an essentially weakening and debilitating cha- racter. Such patients have told me over and over again, that they felt such a weakness in their chest and in their voice. It will even continue beyond the age of puberty in such persons. Diseases of the lungs and heart, and the various tumours pressing upon the windpipe, necessarily produce their characteristic depression and weakness, but the condition I am describing is totally different, for no actual disorganisation is manifest in any of the tissues of the body. It seems to be a constitutional weakness of some portion of the spinal nervous system, especially implicating the throat and chest, for the intellect is perfect, although the- listlessness occasionally present would leave the impression that it was not clear. Young ladies thus affected, complain that their voices in singing are getting weaker than they used to be; they cannot get out the notes, the chest feels tired and aches, and after exerting themselves for a little while, their throats feel strained from the effort. This is especially so during menstru- ation. On making a physical examination of the chest, percussion elicits a clearness of sound throughout, but with the stetho- scope the respiratory sounds are heard of diminished intensity and duration; in other words, the respiration is weak, although in other respects it is natural. The vocal resonance is also diminished in intensity, it is less distinctly marked than natural, and sometimes is exceedingly slight. Feeble or weak respiration and diminished vocal resonance, then, are the chief signs observable on examining the chest. There is nothing unusual about the heart's action, unless an occasional