Rest and pain : a course of lectures on the influence of mechanical and physiological rest in the treatment of accidents and surgical diseases, and the diagnostic value of pain / by the late John Hilton ; edited by W.H.A. Jacobson.

  • John Hilton
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rest and pain : a course of lectures on the influence of mechanical and physiological rest in the treatment of accidents and surgical diseases, and the diagnostic value of pain / by the late John Hilton ; edited by W.H.A. Jacobson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    strength and flesh, and nnable to walk about, from spasmodic pinching pain in the abdomen, which “ doubled her up.” In a short time, however, having been kept quiet in bed, she recovered her flesh and strength, so as to be enabled to walk about a little without pain. Quickly again all the untoward symptoms supervened; the abdo- men became large and tumid, bowels irregular, with ]>ain in the belly, as if a cord were tied around the abdomen. (This sensation of a cord around the abdomen is very significant, and is usually suggestive of spinal mischief.* A gentleman whom I saw from the neighbourhood of Norwich, with a disease of the spine, in detailing his case to me said, “ Did you ever see any of those Italian fellows, with monkeys on boards, dancing to music, with a cord or piece of leather strapped light around their belly and loins? That is just how I felt”—giving one an idea of the pinching and contracted condition of the abdomen which he had experienced.) The advice of another surgeon was obtained, who assured the parents that the mesenteric glands were affected. The urine was at that time phosphatic and ammoniacal. She was allowed to go about as usual. In a shi^rt time the alieration and un- steadiness of gait became more marked, and the other symptoms continuing, she was taken to London to see a surgeon (not myself), who told the parents that the child was suffering from angular curvature of the spine. The child was placed in a recumbent position, and I was consulted. I saw this patient on the 19th of March, 1860, when there was evidence of disease of the eighth and ninth dorsal vertebrae, with slight projection back- wards. The urine was now healthy. Uninterrupted rest in the recumbent position was ordered, with no medicine at all. It had recently been remembered (this is one of the important points) that the child, about a year before, fell out of bed upm her back—a distance of about two feet—and that her abdominal symptoms began about three * Very similar sensations—as pointed out by Dr. Buzzard, Lancet, Ap. 5th, 1879, of sharp pains like knives around the trunk, increased by movement, and a numbt-d feeling about tlie belly, may be produced by a gummatous meningitis making pressure upon the posterior roots of some of the spinal nerves.—[Ed.]
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