Reply of William A. M'Dowell to Dr. Yandell's rejoinder, in a controversy relative to cure of consumption.

  • M'Dowell, William A. (William Adair), 1795-1853.
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reply of William A. M'Dowell to Dr. Yandell's rejoinder, in a controversy relative to cure of consumption. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    My impressions in respect to the post-mortem examination of Miss Howe, though, of course, less distinct than those in the case of Mrs. Willard, as far as they now exist, are coin- cident with the statement of the same submitted to me by Dr. M'Dowell. I recollect distinctly the darker color and denser structure of the upper left lobe, and at one spot a slight depression of the surface, as if from the contraction of the parenchymatous substance beneath; but I do not remember that I devoted my attention particularly to the appearance of the bronchial tubes. F. AUGUSTUS WILLARD. When I commenced my attendance on Miss H., I encoun- tered no inconsiderable degree of good-natured ridicule on account of my sanguine temperament, which permitted me to anticipate the possibility of her recovery. A few months after, when her cough and pulmonary symptoms had disap- peared; my triumph was met with the damper, that such in- tervals had occurred heretofore, and that the disease would now as then surely return. After the enjoyment of about two years of uninterrupted health, surmises got abroad that she never had the disease. In this, my brethren of the pro- fession, and their friends, prior to her death spell, had come generally to acquiesce. As she debilitated and emaciated un- der the effects of her last protracted illness, the impression changed again and became rife that she was dying of the con- sumption, of which she never had been cured. Intelligence of this coming to the ears of my patient, who was fully aware that her present disease was neither of the same character nor locality with the former, induced her to make the dying request of her friends, that I should be admitted the privilege of a post-mortem examination. To this, I invited a num- ber of the most skeptical of my professional friends, includ- ing most of the members of the medical club above alluded to. Only one attended: with the aid o[ whom, and of Prof. Willard. the examination was conducted as above related.