Transactions of the County and City of Cork Medical and Surgical Society.

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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Transactions of the County and City of Cork Medical and Surgical Society. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/82 (page 7)
    Blatherwick, a gentleman of high literary and scientific attainments, on his departure from Cork for Malta, wrote to the secretary expressing the great pleasure and instruction afforded him by his attendance at our meetings, and requesting as a favour that a copy of our transactions should be transmitted to him. A very practical and instructive paper on the fever which was pre¬ valent in Cork for the last year and a half, was read here at the end of last session, and so highly was it appreciated that the editor of the Dublin Journal requested the author, to have it inserted as a special article. I do not wish to be understood, in referring to these matters, as offering any apology on behalf of this society, but rather as showing how our predecessors have worked to uphold it, and consequently how much exertion and zeal will be required from us to retain it in the position in which they have given it to us. A brief retrospect of the transactions of last session may not be without some interest. We had exhibited a specimen of diseased heart, which presented the appearance of a general endocarditis of long standing, stenosis both of the mitral and tricuspid valves, and warty vegetations on the former. The progress of the disease was extremely gradual, and death was very much protracted. Most relief was obtained from the use of pulv. jalapee comp, and the liquor opii sedatives. We had also an interesting discussion on the composition and therapeutic value of chlorodine as a powerful sedative in delirium tremens, gastrodynia, and pyrosis. Surgeon Blatherwick spoke of it highly in the treatment of delirium tremens in military practice. We had, also, exhibited a specimen of hypertrophied pleura, with condensed lung, the former greatly thickened, removed from the body of a policeman, who died in the North Infirmary, where he represented the disease was only of two months’ standing. The man did not appear to suffer constitutional embarrass¬ ment proportional to the lesion, which was accurately diagnosed. The physical signs were, extensive dulness over the right side, depression of the liver, bulging of the intercostal spaces, increased measurement, partial dislocation of the heart, and decubitus on the affected side. Dr. Gregg exhibited a specimen of small tapeworm, which was expelled from a child in separate portions. The oil of male fern was exhibited in this case with marked benefit. The peculiarity of the case was, that paralysis of the right upper extremity existed at the same time that complete power of the hand remained. Such cases were stated to be not uncommon in India, where this species of worm prevails. A case of complete atrophy of the brain was exhibited. It occurred in an adult idiot. The brain weighed only 35^ oz., the average healthy brain being 50 ounces. The arachnoid was opaque, and thickened, and the lateral ventricles were filled with pus. It is surprising that the vital powers could be sustained under such a state of structural disorganization. A