Clinical lecture on the treatment of acute rheumatism, pericarditis, and pneumonia, by the eliminative method / by B. Wills Richardson.

  • Richardson, Benjamin Wills.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Clinical lecture on the treatment of acute rheumatism, pericarditis, and pneumonia, by the eliminative method / by B. Wills Richardson. 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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    coagulation of the blood in an inflamed vein, without the necessity of supposing that the lining membrane is actively engaged in the inflammatory process, its nutrition suffering secondarily from that process going on in the other coats. For although, as Cruveilhier observes, the internal surface of the vein does not present any trace of inflammation, we find in the injection of the capillary vessels of the external surface of the vein and of the surrounding areolar tissue in the infiltration, the density and the fragility of this areolar tissue and of the external tunic of the veins, un- equivocal traces of a prior inflammation. Finally, gentle- men, if the opinion that the appearance of vessels carrying red blood is a secondary stage of inflammation ; in other words, that there is “ a vis a froute, which, by its attractive power, assists and regulates the vis d tergo of the heart,” we can readily understand that inflammatory processes may take place in a part, although anatomically we cannot demonstrate vessels in such a structure. In drawing this lecture to a conclusion, I must observe, we should not dogmatically assert that the favourable result of the case, is to be solely and altogether attributed to the treatment pursued. Some would possibly say that very little was done for the patient, and that the vis medicatrix naturae was the chief, if not the sole agent, in effecting the cure. We could not, however, adopt such an opinion, when we recollect that during the treatment free excretion and secretion were maintained; that alkalies were liberally given, which we know act upon fibrine ; that irritability of the nervous system was, as much as possible, guarded against, and that free vesication was had recourse to. At all events, we have the satisfaction of knowing that the vital powers were not undermined by the nimia diligentia medici,