Consumption and its treatment in all its forms / by Carl Both.

  • Both, Carl.
Date:
1873
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Consumption and its treatment in all its forms / by Carl Both. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    affections of the left lobe of the liver are quite often connected with cough, which is caused by pressure upon the pneumo-gastric nerve. Of these latter we have seen many cases which had been treated for Consumption, especially if a slight bronchial catarrh was present at the same time. Bright's Disease, and abscesses of the kidney, are often accompanied with real or seeming affections of the lungs, and are mistaken for Consumption. But among all the sym- pathetic affections of the chest, the various affections of the uterus l are the most common. In the first place, the depressive mental < influence which accompanies all uterine disorders directly affects res- piration, and afterwards neglect of the lungs, which, in the end, results in tubercle formation, as previously shown. But the severe symptoms which sometimes appear in the chest while the chest itself is not affected, caused by uterine trouble, is really surprising. Such affections are most commonly produced by dislocations of the uterus, and we have known several cases where the patient had all the symp- toms of hectic decline, and who had been treated for months and years for lung affections, while their real difficulty was nothing but a dislocation of this kind. In these cases, the replacement of this organ produces the most astonishing effect; so much so, that from the very rapidity of change the patient can hardly realize the facts — palpitation of the heart, with severe pain, cough, and spasmodic affec- tions of respiration of months' standing, all disappear in a moment. Next to dislocations, or misplacement of the uterus, comes chronic inflammation of this organ. Here the sympathetic effect is not so rapid, but appears gradually, and is therefore very easily taken for incipient lung affections, which may, however, from long neglect, really occur. Here the correct diagnosis helps the physician at once in regard to correct treatment, which, in itself, is too well defined in the Hand-books on the Diseases of Women to require any special attention here. Another disorder which affects the lungs more or less is compre- hended in hemorrhoidal difficulties. Hemorrhoids, or piles, consist in an enlargement of the veins of the lower extremities and of the pelvis, occasioned by lack of muscular pressure, and caused either by neglect of the proper use of the muscular system, or by excessive abuse of the nervous system. In such cases the blood cannot ascend properly in the veins towards the heart, the consequence of which is an enlargement of the veins in those parts where the pressure is the least upon them; then the blood coagulates more or less, and forms those knots known as piles. At certain times these vein tumors break, and discharge an amount of blood, which more or less relieves or exhausts the patient. If, now, an undue and improper course is taken by which this process is forcibly and unnaturally arrested, as by galvanism, or the application of strong styptics, a congestion _ of the lungs very often occurs which results in bleeding, and if not im- mediately recognized and properly treated will end in the destruc- tion of the lung tissue. In such cases the hemorrhoids must be made to bleed again, by leeches or by hot applications, which will arrest the lung-bleeding at once. We have several cases in recollec-