Cerebro spinal meningitis / by D.G. Thomas.

  • Thomas, D. G. (Daniel Golden), 1806-1880.
Date:
[1858]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cerebro spinal meningitis / by D.G. Thomas. 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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    ties to ten on tlie slopes and tops of hills. It broke out in El- mira during the warm weather of last February, The place has no sewerage, and the surface water and filth was exposed to an unusual high temperature for the season. It appeared almost simultaneously in most of the villages and cities of the State west of Utica. It has almost in\^riably i)revailed during the damp weather of March and April, or a warm February, but few cases occurring after the first of May, and appearing again in the month of November and a warm wet December. The arachnoid membrane and pia matur of the spinal chord, and medulla oblongata, are involved in this affection, and usually the first to suffer The arachnoid and pia mater cover the brain —the latter casts its folds between its convolutions, lines its ventricles, and both becoming more dense and firm as the ascent to the base of the brain, furnish supporting sheaths to the vari- ous nerves that emerge from the cranium. As they descend through the occipital foramen, they still continue to increase in strength, furnishing the mellulla spinalis with the same physio- logical relations they had done to the brain, and supplying its nerves with a similar supporting sheath. These membranes, like the other serous membranes of the body, are liable to a rapid extension of inflammation, both from their structure and from continuous sympathy; and this, like all diseases where there is loss of serum from an extensive surface, runs rapidly into a state of fiital collapse. If we take into consideration the delicate structure which is involved in this disease, and that its first morbid impression is genera;lly made at the base of the bri*n, the medulla oblongata and cervical medulla at the origin of the nerves of organic life, it will be easy to understand its rapid course and fatal character. Its mode of attack is not uniform. In some cases, its approach is accompanied by some disturbance of the stomach and bowels, as slight nausea and vomiting, and moderate diarrha-a. This state is accompanied with slight chills and pain in the head and back, sometimes very severe. After a short time, perhaps a few hours, the-e slight disturbances of the system will be followed by delirium, an anxious countenance, great restlessness, cool or