The physiology of temperance & total abstinence : being an examination of the effects of the excessive, moderate, and occasional use of alcoholic liquors on the healthy human system / by William B. Carpenter.

Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physiology of temperance & total abstinence : being an examination of the effects of the excessive, moderate, and occasional use of alcoholic liquors on the healthy human system / by William B. Carpenter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    'formications* were felt also during the day, becoming more urgent and painful, and causing an indescribable restlessness, shooting upwards to the back, and then extending to the hands and arms. The tremors now increased in the hands and arms, and he shuffled in his gait, especially Avhen he first attempted to move forwards. The muscular power of the extremities was much diminished, the want of it being most felt when any unusual exertion was required. The knees frequently gave way, and when he attempted to grasp any object, it slipped from between his fingers ; gradually the weakness of the limbs became more apparent, and it extended upwards to the muscles of the trunk, so that at length he could neither stand nor sit, but was obliged to remain constantly in the recumbent position. While this was taking place, the sensibility of the ■ skin, hitherto unaltered, began likewise to diminish, first on the points of the fiiigers and of the toes, and subsequently (wcr the back of the hands and feet, to the forearm and leg. Ultimately, the toes and the legs became insensible, but sensation reappeared below the knee-joint. The same occurred in regard to the fingers and forearm, but less com- pletely, and at a later period of the malady. Along Avith these sym])toms the patient had now more or less of vertigo, sometimes merely to the extent of a sudden and transitory darkness before the eyes, but at other times he would immediately have fallen to the ground if he had not laid hold of some object near him. Hallucinations of Tarious kinds now came on, particularly in the evening, and before falling asleep; and these fantasies often banished sli-.ep altogether. They varied much in character, but often the patient imagined that he saw persons or objects around him, and he occasionally heard voices and laugiiter. The pupils during this time were dilated and less sensible to light tlian usual. After appropriate treatment, and abstaining from spirituous liquors, his health was in great part restored, and he continued com- paratively well, us long he ohseifcd a regular course of life, and tooh luH ordinary meals. After a time, however, his resolution failed, he relapsed into his bad habits, and his symptoms speedily returned. Tiie digestive functions Avere now more atlccted than on the former occasion ; there was frequent vomiting of tough acid mucus, with a sense of weight and distension at the epigastrium after t:iking food. He became somewhat emaciated, and his skin assumed a dirty-yellowish hue. Soon the formications and muscular debility returned, not alone, but accompanied with painful cramps and startings in the feet and calves of the legs. These startings resembled those produced by electric shocks; at times they were only momentary, but often were more prolonged. Soon they extended to other parts of the body, and became more like convulsions, under the influence of which the patient occasionally became insensible. Gradually these convulsions increased in severity till they formed complete epileptic seizures, of daily occur- rence, followed often by delirium and hallucinations. Vision now became imperfect: the letters of a book, Avhen the patient attempted to read, seemed to run together into an illegible mass. The powers of thought and of memorj' were likewise notably diminished.