Case of thoracic aneurism - death - autopsy : remarks on the treatment of internal aneurism / by Henry I. Bowditch, M.D.

  • Bowditch, Henry I. (Henry Ingersoll), 1808-1892.
Date:
[1866], [©1866]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Case of thoracic aneurism - death - autopsy : remarks on the treatment of internal aneurism / by Henry I. Bowditch, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    3/18
    Prepace.—Believing that Dr. TufFnell has presented very important views on the treat- ment of internal aneurism, I have had a few copies of this paper printed from the Medical Journal. Br. TufFnell's entire pamphlet should be re-published in this country. H. I. B. CASE OF THORACIC ANEUIIISM»-=DEATH—AUTOPSY. REMARKS ON THE TREATMENT OF INTERNAL ANEURISM. [Read before the Boston Society for Medical Observation, February, 1866, and communicated for the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.] By Henry I. Bowditgh, M.D. A MERCHANT, formerly a mariner, born in Europe, but for the last two years a resident in Massachusetts, called on me, December 2d, 1865, with a letter from his attending physician, asking consultation. His history was as follows :— He had usually enjoyed excellent health, except that when on the African coast he had suffered from the fever incident to that climate, and ever afterwards had had at times temporary and slight febrile exacerbations like those suffered on that coast. They do not appear to have injured in a permanent manner his usual health. For the past year he had occasionally spoken to his wife of some pains in the thorax, but they were of so trivial a character that she thought little of them. During the same period he had had some difficulty in mic- turition, obliging him to rise four or five times each night in order to urinate. He had formerly smoked about all the time, but of late he had used tobacco much less freely, and with great relief to palpitation, which he had attributed to the inordinate use of this article. With the above exceptions, and while in the possession of apparently the most robust health—being able to come from the town where he resided, fourteen miles distant, into the city for the transaction of business and to return with perfect ease each day—he was seized, about two months before I saw him, with the following symptoms. He was not aware of having had any special strain, or of any other accident sufficient to cause them. He had gone to iDcd in his accustomed health, was awakened suddenly in the night, and found himself with almost complete aphonia and a certain hoarse- ness of breathing. No other obvious symptoms, except the slightest dyspnoea at first, which, however, soon subsided. No chill or heat, or sign of acute inflammatory or, febrile disease. This peculiar hoarseness of breathing and speaking remained ever after until his