A probationary essay on emphysema : submitted ... to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh ... / by James Russell, junior.

  • Russell, James, 1801-1862
Date:
1823
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A probationary essay on emphysema : submitted ... to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh ... / by James Russell, junior. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    is a division of the integuments, which, from its obhqui- ty, or the smallness of the orifice, is not sufficient to al- low the air to escape, it must be enlarged, so as to afford the air a free passage. Emphysema may be produced, independently of any mechanical injury, by the escape of air from the lungs, in consequence of disease in these organs. From the great loss of substance which the lungs frequently suffe> from disease, we might expect the frequent escape of air into the cavity of the thorax; and probably this event would frequently occur, were it not prevented by the adhesions formed between the two pleura, during the in- flammatory action which precedes such extensive func- tional derangement. Dr Kelly * gives a very striking example of Emphysema arising from tliis cause. A si- milar case occurred to Dr Hamilton in the Royal In- firmary, Palfin and Meckel have Hkewise observed the same accident. The air thus efTused, when confined to the cavity of the thorax, will probably escape detec- tion, and greatly oppress breathing, or even prove fatal, while its existence remains unknown. And even when there is external Emphysema, while the symptoms lead us to infer the presence of a collection of air in the tlio- rax, the evacuation of which is required to give reUef, the practitioner has no means of ascertaining on wliich J.C ' > 1 '' — •-, • . ;. ....Edin. Med. Comment, vol. ii, p. 487.
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