A treatise on pathological anatomy / by Carl Rokitansky ; translated from the German, with additions of diagnosis from Schoenlein, Skoda, and others by John C. Peters.

  • Rokitansky, Carl von, 1804-1878.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on pathological anatomy / by Carl Rokitansky ; translated from the German, with additions of diagnosis from Schoenlein, Skoda, and others by John C. Peters. 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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    of dilatation may be determined by measurement, with due atten- tion to the original size of the tube, and the calibre of the parent branch from which it proceeds. Its extent, as may be gathered from the above, may be either very limited, or on the other hand so considerable, that all the bronchi of a single lobe, or a whole lung, may be affected. Bronchial dilatation affects especially the smaller tubes, and as a general rule is most frequent in those of the third and fourth order, never occurring in the largest bronchial trunks, or at least very rarely, and then only in the manner described when speak- ing of tracheal dilatations. The bronchi situated near the periphery and edges of the lungs, and especially those of the upper lobes, are most subject to this affection, and this among other circumstances shows its analogy to true vesicular emphysema. The walls of the dilated bronchi are found in various condi- tions. At times the mucous membrane and fibrous sheaths are hypertrophied and thickened; the former showing the effects of a chronic catarrh, being swollen, spongy, villous, softened, easily torn, and of various shades of a dark red color. The walls of the bronchi are rigid ; they gap open upon the cut surface of the lung ; the thickened white fibrous sheaths contrast strongly with the internal red and swollen mucous membrane, from which a thick yellow purulent mucus is seen to exude. Such is gene- rally the condition in the first or equiform variety of bronchial dilatation. At other times, especially in the saccular form of this disease, the walls are found in a state of relaxation and emaciation. The mucous membrane of the sacs is but little if at all reddened; on the contrary, it is generally paler than usual; its tissue is but slightly if at all loosened or softened, but is smooth, and ap- proaches the character of a serous membrane. The cavities contain a thin, puriform, pale yellow, or almost colorless glassy mucus. This great difference in the condition of the walls in these two forms of dilatation would lead us to conjecture an equal differ- ence in regard to their proximate and exciting causes, and these we shall proceed presently to point out. The pulmonary tissue in the neighborhood of the dilated tubes is increased in density and unfit for the purposes of respiration. We will enter into a more thorough examination of the state of