Classics of modern science : $b (Copernicus to Pasteur)
History
Classics of modern science : $b (Copernicus to Pasteur)
Science; Science -- History
1st. Nothing is more rare than affections of the mass of the
brain; nothing is more common than inflammation of the _tunica
arachnoides_ that covers it. 2d. Oftentimes one membrane of the
eye only is affected, the others preserving their ordinary degree of
vitality. 3d. In convulsions or paralysis of the muscles of the larynx,
the mucous surface is unaffected; and on the other hand, the muscles
perform their functions as usual in catarrhs of this surface. Both
these affections are foreign to the cartilages, and _vice versa_.
4th. We observe a variety of different alterations in the texture
of the pericardium, but hardly ever in that of the heart itself; it
remains sound while the other is inflamed. The ossification of the
common membrane of the red blood does not extend to the neighboring
textures. 5th. When the membrane of the bronchia is the seat of
catarrh, the pleura is hardly affected at all, and reciprocally in
pleurisy the first is scarcely ever altered. In peripneumonia, when an
enormous infiltration in the dead body shows the excessive inflammation
that has existed during life in the pulmonary texture, the serous and
mucous surfaces often appear not to have been affected. Those who open
dead know that they are frequently healthy in incipient phthisis.
6th. We speak of a bad stomach, a weak stomach; this most commonly
should be understood as applying to the mucous surface only. Whilst
this secretes with difficulty the nutritive juices, without which
digestion is impaired, the serous surface exhales as usual its fluid,
the muscular coat continues to contract, etc. In ascites, in which
the serous surface exhales more lymph than in a natural state, the
mucous oftentimes performs its functions perfectly well, etc. 7th.
All authors have said much of the inflammation of the stomach, the
intestines, the bladder, etc. For myself, I believe that this disease
rarely ever affects at first the whole of any of these organs, except
in the case where poison or some other deleterious substance acts upon
them. There are for the mucous surface of the stomach and intestines,
acute and chronic catarrhs; for the peritoneum serous inflammations;
perhaps even for the layer of organic muscles that separates the two
membranes, there is a particular kind of inflammation, though we have
as yet hardly anything certain upon this point; but the stomach, the
intestines, and the bladder are not suddenly affected with these
three diseases. A diseased texture can affect those near it, but the
primitive affection seizes only upon one. I have examined a great
number of bodies in which the peritoneum was inflamed either upon the
intestines, the stomach, the pelvis, or universally; now very often
when this affection is chronic, and almost always when it is acute,
the subjacent organs remain sound. I have never seen this membrane
exclusively diseased upon one organ, while that of neighboring ones
remain untouched; its affection is propagated more or less remotely.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account