Selected monographs.

  • Kussmaul, Adolf, 1822-1902.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Selected monographs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    after excision of the cerebrum up to the thalami optici, without exliausting losses of blood ensuing: in one, half a year old, the greatest part of the thalami optici and of the crura cerebri, together with the corpus mammillare; in another, one year old, the thalami optici completely, together with the cms cerebri, up to the neighbom-hbod of the pons; in a third and fourth, two to three years old (and these especially lost but little blood), the thalami optici, the anterior part of the testes, and the crura cerebri, close up to the pons. All of them became affected with opistho- tonos, alternating with several attacks of clonic general spasms at irregular intervals, sometimes of ten minutes; compression of the left subclavian, wliich we repeatedly applied in each instance, to secure ourselves from error, produced clonic convulsions imme- diately in every case. Upon the blood re-entering the brain, not only the clonic spasms, but also the opisthotonos, ceased for a short time. This cessation of the tetanic state upon removal of com- pression is not to be ascribed to the losses of blood frequently attendant upon compression, but to arterial congestion, which comes on when no blood whatever has been lost. The clonic spasms after compression were not weaker than those appearing spontaneously, but always weaker than those brought on before removal of the brain, and those directly following the separation of the crura cerebri. In one of the animals, in which the incision was made through the testes, up to the pons varolii, very violent general clonic spasms ensued, passing into opistho- tonos, and returning within the fii-st ten minutes, though with a gradual diminution of strength. When the tetanic state had lasted unchanged for thirteen minutes, the subclavian artery was com- pressed, when weak convulsions only, appeared in the hind legs. Twenty minutes after this experiment the animal was killed by ap- plying a ligature to the subclavian, whereupon it fell into con- vulsions, not only general, but particularly violent. Experiment ii.—Removal of a great portion of the cerebellum.— A white, male rabbit, about eleven weeks old, weighing one pound ten ounces. ioi5 o'clock.—The great arteries of the neck are laid bare without loss of blood. Upon compression the animal faUs into strong convulsions. 71.—^The cerebellum is laid bare to a large extent, whereby