Diseases of the heart : their diagnosis and treatment / by Albert Abrams.

  • Abrams, Albert, 1863-1924.
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of the heart : their diagnosis and treatment / by Albert Abrams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    quencies. Myocarditis is more often an anatomic than a clinic diagnosis. Differentiation between cardiac dilatation and pericardial effusion is ex- ceedingly difficult at times and to puncture the dilated heart with the idea that the latter condition is present is a gross error. Treatment should never be attempted before a diagnosis is made. Better no treatment than meddlesome therapy. Qui bene dignoseit, bene curat. It is related of Frerichs, that after examining a patient, he was in doubt about the diagnosis. The patient insisting about knowing the nature of his trouble, Frerichs comforted him with the assurance that the diag- nosis would be determined at the autopsy. 6. We are frequently led into error by mistak- ing recovery for cure, thereby ignoring the vis medicatrix naturae. I have seen many patients with organic cardiac murmurs, the latter becom- ing less intense after the administration of chalyb- eates. Under the circumstances, one would be inclined to regard the murmurs as anemic. Upon more mature consideration, this view would be dispelled. Impoverishment of the blood attends nearly all organic cardiac affections and only suc- ceeds in intensifying the murmurs, hence iron only removes the factor in intensification. 7. Diagnosis must be held in abeyance in many cases owing to undeveloped symptoms and incom- plete history of the case. Problematic diagnoses