Practical observations on the symptoms, discriminations, and treatment of some of the most important diseases of the lower intestines, and anus ... To which are added, some suggestions upon a new and successful mode of correcting habitual confinement in the bowels ... / By John Howship.

  • Howship, John, 1781-1841.
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical observations on the symptoms, discriminations, and treatment of some of the most important diseases of the lower intestines, and anus ... To which are added, some suggestions upon a new and successful mode of correcting habitual confinement in the bowels ... / By John Howship. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ing, the increased efforts required to expel the faeces become not only violent, but at length un- availing; while the urgent straining tends only to aggravate the irritation of the diseased parts, expos- ing the patient to a degree of misery and torment almost beyond description. Happily, however, even in these circumstances, the disease admits not only of being relieved but sometimes cured. 34. When the difficulties of the disease increase, it occasionally happens that abcess takes place in the vicinity; which abcess, extending to the cavity of the intestine above the stricture, and opening externally also, allows the escape of at least some part of the contents of the overloaded intestines; a circumstance I had lately the opportunity of wit- nessing in a poor person, who, under much distress from this complaint, could not be prevailed on to allow the proper means to be used for her relief, and consequently fell a sacrifice to the disease. In a few instances an abcess of this kind has been known to form an opening from the bowel into the bladder, greatly aggravating the patient’s general distress and misery. * 35. Of the malignant, scirrhous, or cancerous stricture, the early course frequently passes by with- out notice : it sometimes proceeds very slowly. In one case, the first symptom was an occasional un- easiness, and frequent darting pain in passing a motion. In two other cases, one of which is an- nexed, the first symptom was an irritation at the neck of the bladder, t The more early symptoms are succeeded by those local inconveniences con- sequent to obstruction to the passage through the bowel. 36. The distinction between scirrhous stricture and contraction of any other kind, is always important, but not always easy; much assist- ance, however, may in general be derived from a