A practical treatise on phthisis pulmonalis : embracing its pathology, causes, symptoms and treatment / by L.M. Lawson.

  • Lawson, L. M. (Leonidas Merion), 1812-1864.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A practical treatise on phthisis pulmonalis : embracing its pathology, causes, symptoms and treatment / by L.M. Lawson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    tion, but probably likewise a depraved state of fibrin, as shown by its frequent imperfect coagulation. In regard to the albumen, it is conceded by nearly all ob- servers that its proportion is increased. Some estimate it as high as 100 parts in the ]000; and it has been seldom found as low as the natural standard. ~Ro positive deduction can be made in reference to its quality; but it is a fair inference that, like fibrin, the albumen sinks below the normal vitality. The watery portion of the blood is sensibly augmented, for, notwithstanding the increase of albumen, the red corpuscles and whole solid constituents are so far diminished as to give a pre- ponderance to the watery element. It remains a question as to the increase or diminution of fat. According to the analyses of Simon, the fat is increased. He adopted, as the healthy standard, 2.346; while he found, in two cases of phthisis respectively, 2.350 and 4.200. These, however, as previously stated, were advanced cases, and, there- fore, can not be received as indications of what occurs at an earlier period; nevertheless, they do show the ultimate increase of fat in an advanced stage of the disease. According to Becquerel and Rodier, there was a mere fractional decrease of fats; thus, in males, the fat in health being 1.60, in phthisis it was 1.554; and in females the healthy standard was 1.62, while in disease it was 1.729—shades of differences too minute to be of any practical value. It is probable, however, judging from the best data in our possession, that the fatty matters are some- what increased, and especially in an advanced stage; and, as we shall see hereafter, there is also a tendency to the accumu- lation of fat in particular organs. According to Dr. Frick, iron, the chlorides and phosphates of soda and potassa, were diminished, but lime was increased. The testimon}' of chemists on these points is not uniform. Phillips, Rodier and Becquerel, and others, found the salts increased, while L'Hertier states that the earthy salts are diminished, and Sehultz mentions that the blood was either neutral or less alkaline than natural; while, in the observations of Grlover and Nicholson, these constituents were nearly nor- mal. These facts show that the question in relation to the