Researches on the pathology of the brain. Part III. On the organic diseases of the brain / by John Abercrombie.

Date:
[1819]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Researches on the pathology of the brain. Part III. On the organic diseases of the brain / 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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    vered from, then paraplegia, and at last universal paralysis. Ex- tensive effusion occurred in several of them. This is probably to be considered as an effect of the disease. VII. The seventh class presents to us a subject of much in- terest ; a train of symptoms which are very apt to be referred to the stomach, but which really depend upon disease in the brain. In many of the cases of organic disease the stomach is affected, but those to which I now allude are remarkable from the affections of the stomach being the most prominent symp- tom, and from there often being, through a considerable part of their progress, but little complaint of the head, or no com- plaint there so fixed and urgent as to direct our attention to the brain as the seat of the disease. There is generally, however, in these cases, some complaint of pain or weight in the head, sometimes occurring in paroxysms like periodical headach, or in paroxysms accompanied by vomiting, like what is called “ sick headach.” The pain is increased by exertions, external heat, passions of the mind, and stimulating liquors. There is generally variable appetite, bad sleep, oppression of stomach, aci- dity, and occasional vomiting. The vomiting sometimes occurs in the morning on first awaking, and sometimes it occurs at un- certain periods, and without any warning, occurring so rapidly that a patient will sometimes discharge the contents of his sto- mach upon a book which he is reading. There are various uneasy sensations, which are sometimes referred to one organ, sometimes to another; and the disease has been often ascribed to derangement of the functions of the liver, or disordered action of some of the chylopoietic viscera. In this manner the case may go on for a considerable time before its real nature is fully ascertained. After some time, however, symptoms begin to appear which point out its dangerous character, such as fits of loss of recolfection, affections of sight, convulsive paroxysms, and in one of these death may occur; in some cases unexpect-* edly, in others preceded by a train of severe suffering. In cases of this class we must beware of being misled in regard to the nature of the complaint, by observing that the symptoms in the stomach are alleviated by attention to regimen, or by treat- ment directed to the stomach itself. If digestion be impeded, from whatever cause, the uneasy symptoms in that organ may be alleviated by great attention to articles of diet, but no infer- ence can be'dravvn from this source in regard to the cause of- the derangement. In the earlier periods of these cases the diagnosis is often difficult. There is generally more fixed and permanent uneasiness in the head than we should expect to