Lectures on the diagnosis of diseases of the brain, delivered at University College Hospitals.

  • Gowers, W. R. (William Richard), 1845-1915.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on the diagnosis of diseases of the brain, delivered at University College Hospitals. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    LECTUEE XY. DIAGNOSIS OF THE NATURE OF THE LESION—PATHOLOGICAL FACTS BEARING ON DIAGNOSIS. GrENTLEMEN,—We pass now to the last diagnostic problem that we have to consider, that which is, heyond all question, the most important—the nature of the disease. The diagnosis of the seat of the lesion is a problem of fascinating interest to the physician, but the limits of its importance to the patient are quickly reached. It is important to the latter chiefly as affording, in some instances, a guide to prognosis. But on the nature of the lesion depends not only the prognosis for the most part, but the treatment altogether. This pathological diagnosis is, as a general problem, far more difficult than the anatomical diagnosis. It is true, the nature of the disease can sometimes be determined with ease and confidence ; more often, however, it is a question of much difficulty and some uncertainty. We may ask, in the first place, what are the morbid pro- cesses that we have to deal with ? We may leave out of the question those that are of extreme rarity, and consider only those that you are likely, at some time or other, to meet with —that constitute about ninety-nine out of every hundred oases of organic brain-disease which come under observation. They are not very numerous, fortunately for us. They are