An introduction to the study of practical medicine : being an outline of the leading facts and principles of the science, as taught in a course of lectures, delivered in the Marischal College of Aberdeen / by John Macrobin.

  • Macrobin, John, 1804-1879.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introduction to the study of practical medicine : being an outline of the leading facts and principles of the science, as taught in a course of lectures, delivered in the Marischal College of Aberdeen / by John Macrobin. 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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    susceptibility, to one form of diseased action in preference to ano- ther ; as is occasionally exemplified in the case of two or more in- dividuals, who having been exposed to the same exciting causes, under precisely the same external circumstances, become affected with cerebral congestion; which assumes in one the form and character of mania; in another that of apoplexy; and in a third that of cerebritis.' Local congestions, then, may arise not only in connection with local debility, but also in connection with debility of the system generally, i. e. in connection with a state of asthenia. The con- gestions which originate under the latter circumstances are very generally of the purely passive kind, proceeding simply from gra- vitation of the blood into the more depending parts of the body ; and have been termed accordingly hypostatic congestions. And as hypostatic congestions occur in the course of many chronic af- fections, when much debility prevails—and particularly, towards the fatal termination of diseases, where the sinking has been gra- dual, and the dying struggles protracted, (as also after death)— some of the congestions of this class are, in reference to these latter circumstances, designated cadaverical or post mortem conges- tions; and the congestions of the dying—the congestions des agonisans of the French pathologists. The habitual posture of the patient will greatly determine the parts which will be likely to assume the state of hypostatic con- gestion, during a lingering disease. And attention to the position of the patient may lead to their detection when forming during life, iu the lungs, or other viscera of the great cavities ; and so enable the physician to anticipate or counteract them by change of posture ; and also to distinguish them in the dead body from the effects of genuine inflammation.2 1 These general observations, in regard to predisposition and the manner in which the vessels of a part are brought into a state which favours con- gestions of blood, will be equally applicable towards explaining the mode of formation of many of the cases of inflammation which are styled subacute and chronic;—such forms of inflammation being usually, indeed, preceded by congestion. 2 The passive congestions here alluded to are very liable, when they have continued for some time, and when they have become excessive, to induce a low and latent form of inflammation—or rather what might be termed an irritative or active congestion ; but which, under the circumstances of the case, is equally destructive with true inflammation ; since it generally ter- where a hypostatic congestion has taken place in the base of the luno-s, in consequence of the patient having been confined, for a length of time, by ao-e and debility, to the recumbent posture ; and particularly, in the latter stages of contagious diseases, and bad idiopathic fevers, where the debility or ex- haustion has been preceded by excitement of the general system. A slate resembling gangrene is not unfrequently observed in the parenchymatous viscera—(lungs, liver, spleen, &c.) of those dying under such circumstances;