An introduction to pathology and morbid anatomy / by T. Henry Green.

  • Green, T. Henry (Thomas Henry), 1841-1923
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introduction to pathology and morbid anatomy / by T. Henry Green. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    468/584 (page 458)
    mice, oval cocci in rabbits. Every putrid fluid probably does not contain the organisms of each of these diseases. The production of septic infection from putrid fluids is therefore uncertain. Thus Koch notes that on two separate occasions he succeeded with putrid meat- infusion in producing in rabbits the same disease, characterized by the same cocci. OBSERVATIONS ON MAN.—In man the occurrence of analo- gous forms is a priori likely, and cases might be quoted in which the existence of pure septic intoxication or septic infection was very prob- able; but the subject has not been at all fully worked out. Clinically, it is usually impossible to diagnose between them, and the post-mortem signs are very similar. The symptoms of septicaemia in man are fever, often beginning with a rigor, which may be repeated, especially in the infective form—all the symptoms of fever, including delirium, some- times violent, passing on to stupor or even coma. There are great loss of strength, rapid emaciation, dry tongue, and rapid, feeble pulse; the typhoid state appears early. Vomiting is common, diarrhoea much less so, but cases do occur in which the symptoms and patho- logical changes of gastro-enteritis are well marked. A jaundiced tint of skin is not uncommon, and petechial spots may occur. Albumin- uria is frequent. In the infective form death occurs quietly in a semi- comatose state and after a longer period than the non-infective, the characteristic ending of wliich is speedy collapse—the patient dying with some dyspnoea and all the symptoms of rapid cardiac failure. The red corpuscles in ])lood drawn during life run into clumps instead of rouleaux; and Huter states, as the result of observations on the palpebra tertia of infected animals and on the lip of man, that in septicaemia there is widespread capillary stasis, perhaps half the capillaries in a district being full of resting blood in severe cases. Frequently, too, small clumps of red corpuscles pass across the field or stick in some vessel. The post-mortem signs are: Feeble rigor mortis and early decom- position; the blood may be dark and fluid, but is more often clotted, as usual; soon after death there is deep staining of the endocardium and lining membrane of the great vessels, and any serous fluid in the pleunie or pericardium will be blood-tinged: this is owing to rapid disintegration of red corpuscles, which begins even during life; petechi?e occur beneath serous membranes, chiefly on the back of the heart and under the pleura ; hj^postatic congestion of the lungs and