Hypochondriasis: A Practical Treatise (1766)Hill, John
History
Hypochondriasis: A Practical Treatise (1766)
Hill, John
Hypochondria -- Early works to 1900; Medicine -- Early works to 1800
We have done with the obstruction considered in itself; but this, though
often unsurmountable by art, at least by the methods now in use, will be
sometimes broken through at once by nature, or by accidents; and bring
on fatal evils. These are strictly different diseases, and are no
otherway concerned here, than as the consequences of that of which we
are treating.
The thick and glutinous blood which has so long stagnated in the spleen,
will have in that time altered its nature, and acquired a very great
degree of acrimony: while it lies dormant, this does no more mischiefs,
than those named already; but when violent exercise, a fit of outrageous
anger, or any thing else that suddenly shocks and disturbs the frame,
puts it in motion, it melts at once into a kind of liquid putrefaction.
Being now thin, it mixes itself readily with the blood again, and brings
on putrid fevers; destroys the substance of the spleen itself, or being
thrown upon some other of the viscera, corrodes them, and leads on this
way a swift and miserable death. If it fall upon the liver, its tender
pulpy substance is soon destroyed, jaundices beyond the help of art
first follow, then dropsies and all their train of misery; if on lungs,
consumptions; if on the brain, convulsions, epilepsy, palsy, apoplexy;
if on the surface, leprosy.
The intention of cure is to melt this coagulation softly, not to break
it violently; and then to give it a very gentle passage through the
bowels. There is no safe way for it to take but that; and even that when
urged too far may bring on fatal dysenteries.
Let none wonder at the sudden devastation which sometimes arises from
this long stagnant matter, when liquified too hastily: how long, how
many years the impacted matter will continue quiet in a schirrous tumour
of the breast; but being once put in motion, whether from accident, or
in the course of nature, what can describe; or what can stop its
havock!
Instances of the other are too frequent. A nobleman the other day died
paralytick: dissection shewed a spleen consumed by an abscess, formed
from the dissolved matter of such an obstruction: and 'tis scarce longer
since, a learned gentleman, who had been several years lost to his
friends, by the extreams of a Hypochondriacal disorder, seem'd gradually
without assistance to recover: but the lungs suffered while the spleen
was freed; and he died very soon of what is called a galloping
consumption.
When the obstruction is great and of long continuance, if it be thus
hastily moved, the consequence is, equally, a sudden and a miserable
death, whether, like the matter of a cancer, it remains in its place; or
like that of a bad small pox, be thrown upon some other vital part.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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