The nature and treatment of the epidemic cholera / [Robert Venables].

  • Venables, Robert
Date:
1832
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The nature and treatment of the epidemic cholera / [Robert Venables]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/56 (page 14)
    late the facts which 1 have elsewhere stated, and intro¬ duce a few others illnstrative of the morbid anatomy of the staj^e of typhoid reaction. In Cholera, death happens only in two periods of the disease,—namely, in either the collapse or the fever. When a patient dies in collapse, the most obvious mor¬ bid characteristic is the altered condition of the blood. It is invariably of a pitchy black colour, and for the most ]>art of the consistence of a liquid mixture of pitch and tar: it is of a rather thicker consistence than treacle. This is a very characteristic feature in the complaint. The left, as well as the right cavities of the heart, con¬ tain blood of this description, and the same sort of blood is found in the aorta. In the cavities of the heart clots of semi-coagulated blood, quite soft, and of a semi-fluid consistence, melting or dissolving down, as it w ere, under the pressure of the fingers, are found. The different structures—the organs and tissues, are pervaded to a greater or less extent with this blood. On incising the substance of the heart and liver, dark or black fluid blood flows out in great abundance. This altered con¬ dition of the blood, 1 have observed in every dissection which I have witnessed after death during collapse. The blood never, in these cases, shews any traces of serum ; and the blood drawn during life in the cold stage, or immediately after reaction has commenced, never separates into serum and crassamentum, as in ordinary circumstances. The intestines nor their cover¬ ings present any unusual appearance ; but the internal surface and the mucous lining generally presents a blanched appearance. Sometimes the mucous lining seems of a muddy or gruelly looking colour, but this arises entirely from the adhesion of the mucous secre-