On idiopathic anaemia : a report of three cases, with remarks, and an analysis of the cases hitherto published in America / by J.H. Musser.

  • Musser, John Herr, 1856-1912.
Date:
1885
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On idiopathic anaemia : a report of three cases, with remarks, and an analysis of the cases hitherto published in America / by J.H. Musser. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    form of Bright's disease from another, and that, in the absence of proof that the bone-marrow changes are^ not secondar}', it cannot be called pseudo-leukaemia. It cannot be compared, as Quincke would have us do, with ursemia or jaundice. There is something back of these symptoms, which is the disease. And, so with idiopathic anaemia; although the blood-changes and the resulting tissue-changes are allied in all fatal anaemias, yet back of these are circumstances and conditions which go to make up the different diseases. The application of these remarks are only temporary, for sooner or later, as our knowledge of the blood increases, the fundamental cause of idiopathic anaemia will be determined, and the expression idiopathic will be improper and eradicated. The following cases illustrate well this form of anjEmia:— Case I.*—Idiopathic ausemia ; no organic cause ; no emaciation ; retinal hemorrhages ; reduction of r. c.; analysis of blood and urine ; fatty heart. K. McC, fem., white, set. 42, was bom in Cumberland Co., Pa. She resided in this comity until 16 years old ; since then she lived in Philadel- phia until her death, with the exception of a few months spent in Harris- burg, Pa. Previous to her marriage, which took place at 17, she led a life of ease ; since then, however, although her duties were those of housekeeper only, she worked very hard. Her first husband lived eight years after their marriage; he died of chronic Bright's disease. After an interval of six months she re-married and has since lived with her husband. She became pregnant once only, by her first husband, but lost her child by ijremature labor ; she never conceived thereafter. Mrs McC. never suffered on account of deprivation of food or life's ordi- nary comforts ; her last husband kept a saloon and was of somewhat disso- lute habits, i-o that this latter period of her life had been one of care and anxiety ; her habits, as far as can be ascertained, were good. The father of our patient died of an acute illness ; the mother is living at seventy-two and quite active; her brother and two sisters are likewise in good health ; there has been no hereditary tendency to disease. A woman of considerable personal beauty and fine physique, she never had been sick until the development of the present illness. It is true, in childhood she had the specific fevers incident to that period, but the attacks were light and never followed by serious sequelfe. She never had malaria, and no knowledge of venereal disorder could be obtained. Men- struation had always been regular, though scanty and painful, and she believed the change had taken place one year previous to this note, attributing a parastl sesia to that cause. Within the year she menstruated twice, the first time seven months ago, the last time four months ago ; the latter period was attended by a rather profuse flow. The cause of the breakdown in Mrs. McC.'s health was attributed to * Abstract In Case In Trans. Path. Soo. Phlla., xi, p. 66.