Observations on diseases of the spinal marrow / by John Abercrombie.

Date:
1817
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on diseases of the spinal marrow / by John Abercrombie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    tives, and a blister on the back. The blood shewed a strong- inflammatory crust. Dissection.—After the most careful examination, every part of the brain was found to be in the most healthy state. On tak- • H ing out the brain, some gelatinous matter was found under the 4 medulla oblongata, and purulent matter appeared in considera- • t\ ble quantity flowing from the spinal canal. On cutting across the spine about the 4th cervical vertebra, purulent matter still I flowed from the lower part of the canal, in consequence of which r I laid open the whole spine down to the sacrum, by cutting the ; vertebrae on each side of the spinous processes. I thus discover- ed the spinal marrow through its whole extent, covered with a coating of purulent matter, which lay between it and its mem- branes. No place could be detected in which it seemed to have been formed in such quantity as to have flowed over the other parts, but it was distributed with such uniformity, as gave it the appear- ance of having been produced by the disease extending gradually over the whole cord. It was, however, rather more abundant at three places; at the upper part of the canal, near the foramen magnum, about the middle of the dorsal vertebrae, and at the top of the sacrum. The substance of the spinal inarrow was re- markably soft, and in some places much divided into filaments. All the viscera were sound. This may be considered as an example of idiopathic active in- flammation of the spinal cord or its membranes. I add the fol- lowing from Mr Charles Bell, as an example of the disease in- duced by external violence. A waggoner, sitting upon the shaft of his cart, was thrown off by a sudden jerk, and pitched on the back of his neck and shoulders. He was carried to the Middle- sex Hospital, where he lay for a week, without complaining of any thing, except stiffness of the back part of his neck. He could move all his limbs with freedom. On the 8th day after his ad- mission, he was seized with general convulsions, and locked jaw. After a few hours, he was affected with a singular convulsive mo- tion of the jaw, which continued in a state ot violent and incessant motion for about five minutes. This was followed by maniacal deli- rium. He then sunk into a state resembling typhus lever; and, after four days, was found to be paralytic in his lower extremities. “ He lived a week after this, but continued sinking, and still re- tained about him much of the character ot typhus. T he day before his death, he was perfectly sensible, and had recovered sensation in his legs, for he could feel the rubbing of a finger upon them. On dissection, a great quantity of purulent matter was found within the spinal canal, which had dropped down to the lower part of it. It appeared to have been formed about the last cer*