Clinical lectures on pulmonary tuberculosis.

  • Thompson, Theophilus, 1807-1860.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Clinical lectures on pulmonary tuberculosis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    in the phthisical, which may be either gloomy or cheer- ful according to the temperament of the individual. Pain under the left mamma of the peculiar character pathognomonic of hysteria, sometimes suffices to de- termine the question. The spot in the middle of the sternum, which is naturally endowed with much sensi- bility, is often acutely sensitive to pressure; and, if pres- sure be made at the same time upon this part, and near the spine between the shoulder blade, the peculiar gasp and sense of suffocation, to which the term of hysterical asthma has been given, may be induced. But, among the most remarkable symptoms usually characteristic of phthisis, which may occur as a result of hysterical con- dition, ha?moptysis may be specially noticed. It is in such cases often profuse, and remarkably periodical in its occurrence, yet, partaking of the capriciousness of hj'sterical symptoms. The profuseness of haemop- tysis in some hysterical subjects may possibly be due to deficiency of crassamentum in the blood; a condition similar to that produced by Prevost and Dumas in cats, and by Le Canu in men, by blood-letting. If Le Canu be correct in the opinion, that the blood of women con- tains on an average, in a thousand parts, about thirty more of water, and proportionally less crassamentum than that of men and that this peculiarity is most ob- servable at the catamenial period, we may perhaps ap- proach to an explanation of the greater liability of the female sex to the occurrence of hsemoptysis, irrespective of consumption. With a view to bring the different parts of the sub- ject more prominently before you, I will briefly relate a few illustrative cases.