Pathological and practical observations on diseases of the abdomen : comprising those of the stomach and other parts of the alimentary canal, oesophagus, caecum, intestines and peritoneum / by S.O. Habershon.

Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pathological and practical observations on diseases of the abdomen : comprising those of the stomach and other parts of the alimentary canal, oesophagus, caecum, intestines and peritoneum / by S.O. Habershon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    INTRODUCTION. of sinking and exhaustion is one of the most marked signs of abdominal disease; and in some cases this exhaustion leads to sudden death, not only in cases when a person may have died from a blow on the epigastrium, but in other instances. A short time ago I observed a man suffering from aneurism of the descending aorta; he endured very severe pain, and the pulse became much enfeebled; in a few days he died with comparative suddenness. On examination, an aneurism of the aorta was found at the diaphragm; it had led to absorption of the bodies of the vertebrae, but there had been no extravasation of blood into the peritoneum, the cellular tissue, nor into other parts. The aneurismal sac was about four inches in length, and one and a half in height; it had pushed aside the pillars of the dia- phragm, which were white and degenerated; the splanchnic nerves were stretched across the sac, and the semi-lunar gan- glion pushed considerably forward and pressed upon. I think we were justified in believing that in this case the depression, and comparatively sudden death, were in great measure due to the pressure on the great sympathetic nerve centre of the abdo- men. We have, also, often observed in cases of gastritis from poisons, as arsenic, dilute sulphuric acid, chloride of zinc, oxalic acid, that the pulse becomes remarkably depressed; and some- times, where we might have been led, from the absence of pain and other symptoms, to have given a favorable prognosis, the patient has suddenly died. The pneumo-gastric nerve has an important influence on the stomach. This was shown, in a marked degree, by the experi- ments of Dr. Wilson Philip, who demonstrated the effect of section of the pneumo-gastric nerve on digestion, in checking its progress: it does not, however, completely prevent it, but only for a time checks the secretion of gastric juice. The irri- tation of this part of the pneumo-gastric sometimes leads to symptoms indicative of disturbance of the pulmonary branches of the same nerve: cough may be set up; and it is probable that the converse takes place; the pulmonic branches may cause reflex influence on the stomachic branches, and produce violent vomiting. In the c Medical Times and Gazette/ is a very interesting paper by Mr. J. Hutchinson on the Dyspepsia of Phthisis; and many have found in the early stage of phthisis