Cases of great enlargement of the stomach : with remarks / by John Home Peebles.

  • Peebles John Home, -1867.
Date:
[1840]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of great enlargement of the stomach : with remarks / by John Home Peebles. 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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    orifices were perfectly sound ; the latter preserved its dimensions, and natural formation. The mucous coat presented here and there some red livid spots, but without any trace of ramollisse- ment. Tlie Third Series consists of the following collection of cases, but which lose much of their interest from their being so imper- fectly stated. Case I. is given by Blancard.* * * § A female had fever, much thirst, restlessness, and pains in the whole body. She had also aversion to food ; was reduced to extreme emaciation ; and after a year or two, her belly was distended to an enormous degree. On dissection, the parietes of the stomach were found greatly dilated, and an immense quantity of fluid was collected. II. —Heister-f- relates a case of an enlargement of the stomach in a house dog of the middle size, which on dissection was found. to extend from the thorax to the hypogastrium. It so filled the whole of the abdomen that the intestines only occupied four finger- breadths about the pelvis. It was tense and expanded like a drum, and filled with food, and when emptied of its contents could con- tain sixteen pounds of water. III. —Hieronymus LaubiusJ mentions a case of surprising dis- tension of the stomach in a robust sailor, 30 years of age, a habi- tual drunkard. It was four large hand-breadths in length, and two in breadth ; its interior was covered with a mucous substance, which, being scraped off, many blackish stains were apparent. It as well as the small intestines contained a portion of brown and very fetid fluid. The large intestines were distended with faeces and flatus. The rest of the viscera were sound; but the gall- bladder contained no bile. It is to be observed that this subject had become rapidly decomposed. IV. —Morgagni§ gives a case of a woman, 40 years of age, who was subject to hysterical affections; paroxysms very severe. She began to show a depression in the epigastrium, with a swelling in the hypogastrium. This often changed in the course of a day, and became suddenly collapsed. At the interval of four or five hours, she had severe pains and gripings, and oppression of spirits. She often complained that all her bowels were fallen from their place. She had constantly vitiated secretions; was feverish, and greatly emaciated. She lived thus three months. In the body was found what Valsalva had predicted on consul- tation. The stomach had extended into the hypogastrium, so * Anatom. Prael. Bonet. Sepulchret. Obs. 30. + Observ. Academ. Leopold. Cent. 7, Obs. 71. t Ibid Cent. 10, Obs. 85. § Epist. Anatom. Med. xxxix. Art. 14, de Morbis Ventris Lib. iii.
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