An essay on the organic diseases and lesions of the heart and great vessels / from the clinical lectures of J. N. Corvisart ... ; published, under his inspection, by C. E. Horeau ... ; translated from the French, with notes, by Jacob Gates.

  • Corvisart des Marets, Jean Nicolas, Baron, 1755-1821.
Date:
1812
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the organic diseases and lesions of the heart and great vessels / from the clinical lectures of J. N. Corvisart ... ; published, under his inspection, by C. E. Horeau ... ; translated from the French, with notes, by Jacob Gates. 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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    branous layer, we find that the membrane, to which it is applied, has lost none of its transparency, and that is not apparently changed in its texture. This white mat- ter seems to have been deposited by an exudation simi- lar to that which is usually made in consequence of the inflammation of the serous membranes. Is it rational to think that the spots are marks of local, slight and chronic inflammation of the external mem- brane of the heart, which has furnished the lymphatic ex- udation ; and that the matter exuded, not having been received by'the absorbents, produces the white spots in question ? I will observe, that there is often found on the viscera, covered with membranes of the same kind, on the surface of the liver, of the intestines, of the lungs, of the arachnoides in particular, similar spots, which perhaps are induced also by a local inflammation of little extent, that might have been indicated by slight symp- toms during life ; but these symptoms have been too vague, to then cause a suspicion of the affection to which they belonged. Yet their extent and seat, in some circumstances, render the explanation very doubtful which I have haz- arded, and it is very difficult in some of these cases, to be persuaded that the inflammation, which must have ob- tained, has not occasioned a real disease, even very se- rious, rather than slight symptoms, of which the patients have scarcely retained the remembrance.* * In opening dead bodies there is very often to be seen upon the surface of the heart a white opaque spot, like a thickening of the pericardium. This is some- times not broader than a sixpence ; at other times as broad as a crown. It is most common on the surface of the right ventricle, and is very rarelv to be seen either on the surface of the left ventricle, or of the auricles, although it is occa- sionally on both. It consists of an adventitious membrane, formed on a portion of the pericar- dium, which covers the heart, and may easily be dissected off so as to leave the pericardium entire. It is an appearance, I believe, of no consequence whatever, and is so very common that it can hardly be considered as a disease. Baillie's Morbid An.it.—T.