Observations on Madness and Melancholy: Including Practical Remarks on those Diseases together with Cases and an Account of the Morbid Appearances on DissectionHaslam, John
Science
Observations on Madness and Melancholy: Including Practical Remarks on those Diseases together with Cases and an Account of the Morbid Appearances on Dissection
Haslam, John
Depression, Mental; Melancholy; Psychiatry -- Early works to 1900; Psychology, Pathological
M. G. a woman, about fifty years of age, had been admitted on the
incurable establishment in July 1785. She had for some years before been
in a disordered state, and was considered as a dangerous patient. Her
temper was violent; and if interrupted in her usual habits, she became
very furious. Like many others among the incurables, she was an insulated
being: she never spoke except when disturbed. Her greatest delight
appeared to be in getting into some corner to sleep; and the interval
between breakfast and dinner, was usually past in this manner. At other
times she was generally committing some petty mischief, such as slyly
breaking a window, dirtying the rooms of the other patients, or purloining
their provisions. She had been for some months in a weak and declining
state, but would never give any account of her disorder. On January 5,
1797, she died, apparently worn out. The head was opened three days after
death. The pericranium adhered but slightly to the scull, nor was the dura
mater firmly attached. There was water between the membranes of the brain;
and the want of transparency of the tunica arachnoidea, indicated marks of
former inflammation. The posterior part of the hemispheres of the brain
was of a brownish colour. In this case there was a considerable appearance
of air in the veins; the medullary substance, when cut, was full of bloody
points: the lateral ventricles were small, but filled with water: the
plexus choroides were loaded with vesicles of a much larger size than
usual: the consistence of the brain was natural.
CASE XVIII.
S. T. a woman, aged fifty-seven, was admitted into the house, January 14,
1797. It was stated by her friends, that she had been disordered eight
months: they were unacquainted with any cause, which might have induced
the disease. She had evidently suffered a paralytic attack, which
considerably affected her speech, and occasioned her to walk lame with the
right leg. As she avoided all conversation, it was not possible to collect
any further account of her case. Three days after her admission, she had
another paralytic stroke, which deprived her entirely of the use of the
right side. Two days afterwards she died. She was opened forty-eight hours
after death. There was a small quantity of water between the tunica
arachnoidea and pia mater, and a number of opake spots on the former
membrane. On the pia mater, covering the posterior part of the left
hemisphere of the brain, there was an extravasated blotch, about the size
of a shilling: the medullary substance was unusually loaded with blood:
the lateral ventricles were large, but did not contain much water: the
consistence of the brain was very soft.
CASE XIX.
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