Report on intra-cranial tumors : their symptomatology and diagnosis, with illustrative cases / by Roberts Bartholow.

  • Roberts Bartholow
Date:
1869
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on intra-cranial tumors : their symptomatology and diagnosis, with illustrative cases / by Roberts Bartholow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    existence of a tumor was inferred. When the membranes or convexity of the brain is the seat of the tumor, the pain is more generally superficial; at least subjectively more super- ficial. Todd* entertained the opinion that when the pain va- ries only in intensity and not in position, the irritation is seated in some superficial part of the brain or in the mem- branes. Eussell Eeynoldst says that the pain is usually confined to a definite point or region of the head and persists in that locality. Vertigo.—This was well marked in five of the ten cases de- tailed in this paper. This symptom varies in intensity from a slight sensation of dizziness, to such disorder of voluntary movement as to render walking or standing difficult or impos- sible. Vertigo is undoubtedly frequently mistaken for disor- der of the co-ordinating faculty. Hamraondf sbows this in his paper on the functions of the cerebellum: The disorder of movements which results in birds and in animals immedi- ately after injury of the cerebellum is not due to any loss of coordinating power, but is the result of vertigo. Difficulty in standing or walking, staggering as if intoxi- cated, and finally inability to rise from the bed, may depend on vertigo, but they may also be due to ataxia, a symptom of irritation produced by an adventitious product. Vertigo, however, is a symptom common to tumors in various situa- tions; ataxia is produced by irritation of jiarts at the base. Vertigo is diminished and often relieved hj closure of the eyes and lying quiet; but this is not alwa.\s the case, for Case IV. had a sensation of swimming or floating away when ly- ing in bed with his eyes closed; and Case IX. has vertigo in any position. Amaurosis.—Feebleness of vision and ultimately complete blindnessare noted in a large majority of intra cranial growths. Tlie gradual development of amaurosis is not conclusive of the existence of a tumor, but only that there is ])reseut a coarse organic lesion of some kind. In six of the ten cases * Clinical Lectures on Paralysis, American Edition, p. 34. t System of Medicine, Vol 2, ]). 479. X Quarterly Journal of Psychological Medicine, April, 1869, p. 233.