An inaugural dissertation on pulmonary consumption.

  • Delafield, Edward, 1794-1875.
Date:
1816
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation on pulmonary consumption. 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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    suppressed or very irregular. The bowels are frequent- ly costive. The patient passes restless nights, and is prevented sleeping by a tormenting cough, or if he sleeps, is troubled with dreams. In consequence of in- digestion, pain is felt in the situation of the stomach, at- tended with flatulence. The patient begins to have a pallid countenance, and emaciation gradually takes place. These symptoms may continue a length of time, gra- dually debilitating the patient. But the expectoration which at first was frothy, in small quantity, and coughed up with difficulty and pain, increases, and gradually passing through all the stages between mucus and pus, at length becomes decidedly purulent. A new train of symptoms follow. Hectic fever makes its appearance, commencing with irregular cold and shivering fits, re- turning frequently during the day. It soon, however, assumes a decided character, and has two marked ex- acerbations, the one at noon, the other at night. These exacerbations begin with a sense of coldness, succeeded by heat, and at night terminating in profuse perspira- tion. During the chill and hot fit, the cough, pain, and dyspnoea are aggravated, but relieved by the sweating. The pulse before the paroxysm is accelerated and weak, during its continuance quick and strong, but abates as the perspiration flows. The countenance is generally- pale, but during the exacerbation is marked by a cir- cumscribed crimson flush, which occurs mostly at noon, but may be produced by taking food or any other cause