The physician's vademecum, or, A manual of the principles and practice of physic : containing the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases; accompanied by a select collection of formulae, with a table of the doses of all medicines now in use / by Robert Hooper.

  • Hooper, Robert, 1773-1835.
Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physician's vademecum, or, A manual of the principles and practice of physic : containing the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases; accompanied by a select collection of formulae, with a table of the doses of all medicines now in use / by Robert Hooper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    these plienoinena do not indicnte disease, nor even affect tlie pulse. In some instances there are two or more equal con- tractions, and then we find one or more weaker or irregular, or a complete intermission; under these circumstances, we mav expect disease. Sometimes the contractions are so frequent and irregidar as to render it impossible to analyze them, and then they in- dicate organic disease. The action of the heart may be so violent as to be heard at a distance of one or two feet, or distinctly seen on the surface of the chest. This may occur M'ithout any disease, or be symptomatic of dyspepsia, hydrothorax, ascites, utero-gesta- tion, &c. ; but is characteristic of hypertrophy, and often arises from gaseous exhalation in the pericardium or stomach. Palpitations, irregularities, and intermissions of the heart's action may be symptomatic of diseases unconnected with the heart, and may occur or continue though the person is in per- fect health. The exploration of the heart's action by means of the ste- thosco]3e, enables us to detect the real condition of the cir- culation ; and furnishes a much more certain indication than the pulse of the necessity of depletion. The pulsations of the heart may be heard beyond the usual limits, as from the left axilla to the region of the stomach, but not so low on the right side. In such cases there is an indication that the ventricular walls aj-e thinned, that the heart is dilated, and therefore it strikes the sternum and chest with an enlarged surface. But this increased extent of pul- sation may be independent of disease of the heart; it may be caused by various diseases in the chest, as narroAvness of its parietes, the existence of moi'bid productions, solid or fluid; in fact, by any cause that accelerates the pulse. It has been already stated that the action of the heart may only be distinguishable in the space of a square inch ; and this arises from increased thickness of the paj ietes of the organ. Again, the pulsations of the heart may be felt in the right side when the left side of the chest contains a quantity of fluid or a tumour, and when the abdomen is preternaturally dis- c2