Hepatitis and hepatic abscess : their ætiology, diagnosis and treatment / by G. Harrison Younge.

  • Younge, G. Harrison.
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hepatitis and hepatic abscess : their ætiology, diagnosis and treatment / by G. Harrison Younge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    9 hepatic abscess, it is very doubtful whether any other cause can be assigned in its place'’ (Hilton Fagge.) “Finally, a considerable proportion of cases of hepatic abscess arise under unknown conditions.” (Bartholow.) And yet this subject is one of vast importance, for without definite knowledge as to the etiology of any disease we cannot, with any certainty of success, suggest means for its prevention. A glance at the returns of the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India will show what a great saving, as regards both life and invaliding, might be eflected if we could stamp out hepatic diseases amongst the European Army in India. Taking the ten years ending 1879 we find that the annual admission rate for hepatitis was 51'7 per 1,000 of strength; while the disease caused 16 per cent, of the total deaths, and lo'o par cent, of the total invaliding. The admissions and deaths from hepatic abscess cannot be ascartained as they are not given separately, being apparently included under some general heading. These and similar considerations led the writer, shortly after his arrival in India, to undertake a series of obser- vations in the hope of discovering why and how residence in a tropical climate influenced the functions of the liver, and these observations were continued with little inter- ruption for a period of five years. The results may be briefly stated as follows :— During the first year an European spends in India the amount of work done by the liver is enormously increased. So great is the amount of bile passed that the stools are often black, almost resembling tar in appearance. During this time the bowels may be moved three or four times a day, the motions being copious and semi-fluid. In full-blooded persons attacks of biliousness, and of bilious diarrhcea, are frequent. These attacks are often followed by a marked sense of relief