Practical observations on diseases of the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, &c., occasioned by spinal irritation, and on the nervous system in general, as a source of organic disease : illustrated by cases / by John Marshall.

  • Marshall, John, 1818-1891.
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical observations on diseases of the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, &c., occasioned by spinal irritation, and on the nervous system in general, as a source of organic disease : illustrated by cases / by John Marshall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    52/186 (page 40)
    JO CASE THIRD. October 1st, 1830. W. E., aetat 12.—I was this day requested to visit this patient, and received the following history of the case from his mother. Until his ninth year he had enjoyed very good health, having experienced none but the com- plaints incident to childhood. Soon after this period, however, he began to complain of weakness, of palpita- tion at the heart, and loss of appetite; became dispirited, and unlike himself. She called in her ordinary medi- cal attendant, who, after attending the patient for some time, informed her that he was labouring under enlarge- ment of the heart, and that therefore all that could be done was to alleviate symptoms. Dr. S., of Greenock, and Dr. B., of Glasgow, had subsequently been consulted, and coincided in this opinion. Dr. B. had however recommended the application of a blister between the shoulders; but his advice was not complied with, the ordinary medical attendant having decided that it could have no effect but that of needlessly torturing the patient. The boy had, for two successive summers, been carried to the sea-side, where he uniformly recovered flesh and vigour; but immediately on his return home fell off, and experienced a recurrence of all the painful symptoms. Mrs. E. added, that he was now worse than he had ever been, and was, in fact, in so alarming a state as to cause the greatest apprehension of immediate danger. On inquiring what mode of treatment had been pursued, I found from Mrs. E.'s reply, that the medical gentleman above-named had most rigidly pursued the starving system of Valsalva for the cure of aneurism; but instead of Valsalva's bleedings, this boy's bowels had been kept in