The Lettsomian Lectures on Diseases and Disorders of the Heart and Arteries in Middle and Advanced Life [1900-1901]Bruce, J. Mitchell (John Mitchell)
Science
The Lettsomian Lectures on Diseases and Disorders of the Heart and Arteries in Middle and Advanced Life [1900-1901]
Bruce, J. Mitchell (John Mitchell)
Arteries -- Diseases; Cardiovascular system -- Diseases; Heart -- Diseases; Middle-aged persons; Older people
I confess that it is difficult to say much that is of real
diagnostic value on the clinical aspect of cardio-vascular disorders
and disease from nervous strain. As I remarked in discussing this
subject from the etiological point of view, several factors come
into play besides nervous excitement followed by exhaustion and
their effects on the heart, great vessels and cerebral arteries;
and the cases, therefore, are found to present a puzzling variety
of features. Certain clinical characters are, however, common to
the majority. Arterial tension is high; the radial artery is thick,
sometimes markedly so; the heart enlarges; and in about one-half of
the cases a systolic murmur is to be heard either in the aortic or
in the mitral area, significant of chronic endocardial lesions--all
readily intelligible results of cerebral strain in the light of
our knowledge of the innervation of the cardio-vascular system. I
have already pointed out that in some of these patients polyuria
and temporary albuminuria occur along with the high tension and
the increased action of the heart; but the heart may fail later
on. The direct cardiac symptoms of which they complain are of the
ordinary character, palpitation with accelerated cardiac frequency
and pain (not angina) being the most common at first, feelings of
indescribable discomfort and suffocation in the more advanced stage.
A great deal that I might have had to say on the very interesting
subjects of pseudo-angina, and the climacteric and pre-climacteric
disturbances of the circulation in women, I am reluctantly compelled
to omit from want of time.
* * * * *
After having reviewed, as I have attempted to do, the principal
clinical characters of the disorders and diseases of middle and
advanced life under their several causes, it may appear for a
moment strange that the most important of all the clinical types of
cardio-vascular degeneration has been mentioned only incidentally.
This is chronic Bright's disease, which, from its complex
pathological relations, its widespread effects on the heart and
circulation and the organs that they supply, and the far greater
gravity of these than those of any of the other causes which we have
studied (unless it be syphilis), is a subject of endless interest to
us all. Fortunately for me my immediate predecessor in this chair on
the medical side, our distinguished Fellow, Dr. Samuel West, took
for his subject the "Clinical Aspects of Granular Kidney," and thus
relieved me of a task which he was so much better able to discharge
than I. Emphysema must also be passed over with the single remark
that it is a very common accompaniment both of vascular and cardiac
degenerations.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account