The diseases of the chest : including the principal affections of the pleurae, lungs, pericardium, heart, and aorta / by Vincent D. Harris.

  • Harris, Vincent Dormer.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The diseases of the chest : including the principal affections of the pleurae, lungs, pericardium, heart, and aorta / by Vincent D. Harris. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

    296/456 (page 280)
    Generally death is very gradual, and due to a slow form of asphyxia. It may be due to diar- rhoea or other complications. Aphthae on the tongue are common at the last. The complications which are likely to cause death are as follows : Pneumothorax. Hcemorrhage, from giving way of some large vessel. Thrombosis in the extremities. Intestinal tdceration. Tubercular meningitis. In addition to these, other complica- tions make the prognosis bad, for example, yleiirisy or lobar pneumonia added to the original affection. Amyloid disease of the kidneys. Laryngitis. Duration and prognosis.—Both the prognosis and the duration of phthisis depend much upon the variety of the affection with which we have to deal, and before an answer can be given to the question, Is there any chance of recovery ? an exact diagnosis must be attempted. Treatment.—Although it by no means follows thnt all the children of tubercular parents become phthisical, yet there are sufficient grounds for care- fully looking after the health of the members of a family in which there is a strong history of phthisis, and especially of an individual member who may have shown signs of defective nutrition. The means adopted in such cases should also be adopted in any other cases in which an acquired tendency to con- sumption is discovered. These means are summed up in the following rules : The diet should be nutritious and easily digested, and should include a considei-able amount of milk. As far as our experience goes, alcoholic stimulants in moderation are of use to adults, such as light bitter ale, very light dry sherry, or the like; they should be taken at dinner time. Cold baths.—With careful shampooing, esj^ecially of the chest. If the jDatient is unable to use absolutely cold water, then water, tepid or as cold as possible, may be substituted.