Fat and Blood: An Essay on the Treatment of Certain Forms of Neurasthenia and HysteriaMitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir)
Science
Fat and Blood: An Essay on the Treatment of Certain Forms of Neurasthenia and Hysteria
Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir)
Hysteria; Neurasthenia; Rest
On examination the spleen was decidedly large; the lower border of the
stomach reached to the level of the umbilicus. Two cardiac murmurs were
present, the one a sharp and well-defined mitral regurgitant sound,
confirmed by the dyspnoea and dropsy as organic, the other a loud
musical murmur of hæmic origin. The trouble in deglutition proved to be
due to an oesophageal narrowing. The blood examination bore out the
suggestion of probable pernicious anæmia, the red cells being only
1,500,000, hæmoglobin 18 per cent.: the microscope showed microcytes,
megaloblasts, nucleated red cells, and a large increase in white
corpuscles. In order to study the effect of massage alone upon the blood
no other treatment was used, though of course the patient was kept at
"absolute rest." No drugs were given, electricity was not used, and
extra food was omitted, as the irritability of the oesophagus made her
unwilling to attempt the exertion and annoyance of frequent feeding. The
general chilliness was at once helped by massage, and in a few days only
felt in the small hours of the night, and the patient gained weight from
the first. After one week of treatment a blood count was made: red cells
were 3,800,000, more than double the former figure; hæmoglobin, 35 per
cent., almost double its original value. On the same day, one hour after
the completion of an hour's massage, the corpuscular count had attained
5,400,000, the hæmoglobin remaining 35 per cent.
At the end of two weeks the hæmic murmur had faded into a faint soft
bruit, though the mitral murmur was unchanged, the skin had improved in
color, the aches and weariness were gone, and the blood count had
reached nearly five million cells, with 50 per cent. of hæmoglobin. The
extraordinary results of the blood examination were confirmed by
observations made by Professor Frederick P. Henry, Dr. Judson Daland,
and Dr. J.K. Mitchell, who all practically agreed. Professor Henry made
several studies and stained a number of slides, verifying in his report
the statements of the presence of megaloblasts and nucleated red cells
made above.
Owing to the necessity for an operation on the hemorrhoids, which caused
loss of blood, the patient was somewhat retarded in her progress to
recovery, but by the tenth week was so far better that the blood showed
no microscopic abnormalities, the count was full normal, and the
hæmoglobin over 70 per cent. Her color and strength were good, the heart
was perfectly strong, the anæmic murmur was gone, and the oesophagus
was so much less irritable that it was possible to begin dilatation of
the stricture.
I have heard within a year that though occasionally annoyed by this last
trouble if she becomes much fatigued, she has remained in other ways
well.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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