Rheumatism, its nature, its pathology and its successful treatment / by T.J. Maclagan.

Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rheumatism, its nature, its pathology and its successful treatment / by T.J. Maclagan. 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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    The diagnosis is not difficult. In pyaemia there is the existence of some wound or other lesion to explain its occur- rence ; the rigors are more marked; the joint inflammation does not shift about, and is characterized by more decided redness of the surface: and the perspiration is not acid. This last feature alone is sufficient to decide the point as to which we have to deal with—pyaemia or acute rheumatism. Should we fail to make a diagnosis by these means, the doubt is not unlikely to be soon set at rest, if the case be one of pyaemia, by the onset of typhoid symptoms, and a speedily fatal result. Gonorrhoea! rheumatism occurs in connection with gonor- rhoea. It is not accompanied by the same amount of febrile disturbance as acute or even subacute rheumatism. It affects fewer joints; has a special preference for the knee ; and does not show the same tendency to shift about. Acid perspirations do not occur; and it does not tend to affect the heart. Salicin and salicylic acid speedily cure true acute rheumatism. They have no influence on the gonorrhoeal form of the disease.* Chronic Bheumatism is a name which is loosely applied to many ailments not really of rheumatic origin. Almost any obscure and obstinate pain, which is not traceable to some other agency, is apt to be attributed to chronic rheumatism. Under this head there thus come to be ranked many aches and ailments which, not being of rheumatic origin, have no claim to the title. Chronic rheumatism, properly so called, is a milder form of the subacute variety, in which there is not sufficient local inflammation to lay the patient up, or to raise the temperature. * The remedies which I have found do most good in gonorrhoeal rheumatism, are chlorate of potass and liquor ferri perchloridi, ten grains of the former, and twenty minims of the latter, every three hours.