Report on the epidemic fever of Edinburgh : an account of the symptoms and treatment / by William Henderson. Analysis and details of forty-seven inspections after death / by John Reid.

  • Henderson, William, 1810-1872.
Date:
[1840-?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the epidemic fever of Edinburgh : an account of the symptoms and treatment / by William Henderson. Analysis and details of forty-seven inspections after death / by John Reid. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    29/41 (page 27)
    found within the hitcml ventricles was 571 years; the youngest being 48, and the oldest 68 years of age. With regard to the average duration of the disease in the two class of cases, we do not find so striking a difference. The average duration of the disease in the cases in which an increased effusion of serum was found within the cranium (as calculated from 24 cases) was laff days; while the average duration of those cases in which no in- creased effusion of serum was observed within the cranium was llig^ days, or only a difference of nearly one day. It has already been stated that, in most of the cases in which the brain was examined, we observed the blood-vessels well load- ed with blood, as indicated by the numerous red points which presented themselves on the cut surfaces of the brain. In judg- ing of the degree of vascular congestion in the brain, we ought to remember that part of the increased quantity of blood in the ves- sels of the brain may be merely apparent, and arise from the fluid state of the blood ; for it is obvious that, if the blood remain fluid, the pressure of the knife used in slicing the brain will force the fluid blood through the open mouths of the vessels upon the cut surfaces. In judging of the probable causes of the congested state of the blood-vessels of the brain, and of derangements of its functions, we must take into account the state of the respiratory organs ; for it is apparent, that if there be any impediment to the passage of the blood through the lungs, this may influence materially the circu- lation within the cranium, even in those cases where the respiratory function is only secondarily affected through derangement of the cen- tral organs of the nervous system ; forit is equally obvious that when from this cause there is any impediment to the circulation through the lungs, it will react upon the central organs of the nervous sys- tem, and increase the primary derangement. And this leads us to examine the condition of the lungs in those cases in which the brain was examined. In the 43 cases in which the brain was ex- amined, the lungs were examined in 39. In the 25 cases in which an anormal quantity of serum was effused within the cranium, the lungs were examined in 23; and in the ] 8 cases in which no anor- mal quantity of serum was effused, the lungs were examined in 16. In the 23 cases in which more than the usual quantity of se- rum was effused within the cranium, the hmgs, in 1 case, were scarcely engorged with blood, even at the depending parts ; in 3 cases they were found simply engorged with blood at the depend- ing parts; in 1 case the engorgement was combined with the ef- fusion of frothy serum ; in 2 cases, with frothy serum and the pre- sence of old tubercles in both lungs ; in 1 case with old pneumo- nia of right lung ; in 5 cases with the effusion of frothy scrum, and the greater or less quantity of mucus into the bronchial tubes;