Substance of a clinical lecture on a case of hydrophobia : delivered at the Charing Cross Hospital, Monday, November 24, 1834 : to which are appended the particulars of another case admitted into the hospital, October 21, 1834 / by T.J. Pettigrew.

  • Pettigrew, Thomas Joseph, 1791-1865.
Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Substance of a clinical lecture on a case of hydrophobia : delivered at the Charing Cross Hospital, Monday, November 24, 1834 : to which are appended the particulars of another case admitted into the hospital, October 21, 1834 / by T.J. Pettigrew. 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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    larly on the light side, and they were very strongly adherent to the parts beneath. The membranes over the optic nerves and the an- terior crura cerebri were also very vascular. The absence of vascu- larity in the brain generally was remarkable, and not a drop of fluid was found at the basis. The lateral sinuses, like the longitudinal, were empty. Neck.—The muscles were dark coloured and fuller of blood than usual. The tongue had its papillae very large, particularly at the root ; there were no pustules about the fraenum. The tonsils were much enlarged, but not vascular. The pharynx and oesophagus were throughout perfectly natural ; there were not the slightest appearances of inflammation in any part. The larynx and trachea were also free of any marks of vascularity, excepiing at the bifurca- tion of the latter at its entrance into the lungs, where it was slightly reddened. The inner surface of the larynx and trachea were smeared with a dark coloured fluid, which appeared to be a portion of a dark bilious fluid, a small quantity of w hich w'as found in the stomach, and of which a considerable quantity had been vomited up prior to death. Thorax.—Not a drop of effusion was contained in either cavity of the chest. All the viscera had their natural appearance ; the lungs contained air, aud were rather remarkable for the verv small quantity of blood in them. There were some adhesions between the pleurae on the left side, but they were not lecent. The phrenic nerves and the diaphragm presented their usual natural appearance; the heart was rather more fatty than is usually found in persons of so early an age. The pericardium contained about half an ounce of light straw coloured fluid. The left ventricle was empty, firm, and thick, and its substance of a dark colour; the right ventricle had some small portions of coagula. The large vessels presented no marks of increased action ; their inner surfaces were quite white. The great sympathetic nerve was perfectly healthy. Abdomen.—The liver was natural, but the gall bladder was distended w ith a bile, perfectly black : it had communicated no tinge to the surrounding parts. The stomach was very much con- tracted ; and upon opening it, it was found to contain about four ounces of a greenish coloured fluid. The rugae were very strongly marked, and the glands about the cardia and pylorus were more conspicuous than usual, and contained a whitish coloured deposit, giving a strumous appearance to them. This conjecture is sup- ported by the enlarged state of the tonsils—a much enlarged con- dition of the mesenteric glands, and also an increase of firmness in the pancreas. No abrasions or extravasations of any kind was observable in the stomach, neither was there any appearance of vascularity to be seen, except towards the pylorus, where a slight redness was discernible. rl he intestines were distended with air, agd presented a very dry appearance, they contained no feculent