Case of chronic hydrocephalus connected with cancer at the base of the brain / by J. Warburton Begbie ; with an account of the morbid appearances, by D. Rutherford Haldane.

  • Begbie, James Warburton, 1826-1876.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Case of chronic hydrocephalus connected with cancer at the base of the brain / by J. Warburton Begbie ; with an account of the morbid appearances, by D. Rutherford Haldane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    the boy would have indicated. Perfect freedom in locomotion. Only complaint that of severe pain in the occipital region. Sleeps well, occasionally moaning. Appetite good. Bowels regular. Dejections and urine healthy. Respiration and circulation free from any evidence of disease. A few days after admission, the hair of head was removed, and a blister applied to the back of the neck, with some relief to the pain; but owing to its return, and on ac- count of a degree of somnolency, accompanied by slowness of the pulse, he was cupped about the middle of September, and another blister applied, while he took small doses of calomel, until salivation was produced. This resulted in a severer form than was intended, and he suffered a good deal from the irritation it produced. Un- questionably, a considerable degree of relief from the headache followed this treatment, and no farther measures of importance were adopted, save keeping up, in a very mild degree, the action of the mercury, and the renewed application of blisters to the neck. The remarkable intelligence of the boy was a matter of daily observation in the ward, and he very speedily got reconciled to his hospital life, and became a particular favourite with the other patients. The special sense of touch was in him finely developed, as it generally is in the blind, and he frequently astonished gentlemen in the ward by the readiness with which he distinguished the different sizes of some keys which I carried in my pocket, and gave to him for that purpose. The action of the bowels was always carefully attended to, and laxative enemata were frequently administered. He had never any sickness or vomiting. Occasionally he complained of giddiness as well as of pain in the head. For a week previous to the fatal event, he had been more than usually cheerful and happy, had expressed a desire to walk about the ward, and one day mentioned that his parents, who believed him to be now greatly better, wished him to return home. On Sunday, the 11th of November, he was, to all appearance, in the same state as during the previous week. I saw him that day, and had a little conversation with him. In the early part of Sunday night he was noticed to be restless; but as his nights had formerly been disturbed, less attention was paid to that circumstance than might otherwise have been the case. Above five a.m. on Monday, the 12th November, he was seized with a violent con- vulsive fit, and became quite insensible. During two hours he had a succession of fits, then he became quiet, though never sensible. After a recurrence of another convulsion of great severity, about ten a.m., he expired. He was seen, before death, by my friend aud house physician, Dr Moore. Before the Society is put in possession of the very remarkable appearances found upon dissection by Dr Haldane, 1 would begj, very shortly, to direct attention to the few following points which appear to me of interest in the history of the case :—