Cases and observations illustrative of the nature of gangrene of the lungs / by David Craigie.

  • Craigie, David.
Date:
[1843?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases and observations illustrative of the nature of gangrene of the lungs / by David Craigie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    ing from it. This cavity occupied so completely the whole sub- stance of the left lung, that only a small portion of the pulmonic substance, about one inch and a half in size, was left at the apex of the organ, a small portion at the base of the lung, and a mere sac or coatinff of lung all round. The whole of this was in the state of gray hepatization. Cruveilhier has also been, by the same sort of evidence, compelled to admit the same conclusions. In 1833, he publish- ed, in the third and eleventh numbers of his work on Pathologi- cal Anatomy, two cases which, along with others, were well suit- ed to illustrate the nature and origin of this lesion. In the first case, in number third, he adheres to the doctrine of Laennec, that there is a species of gangrene of the lungs independent of pneu- monia ; and he adduces as proofs of this the absence of the anato- mical characters of pneumonic inflammation. Something in con- tradiction to this, however, he afterwards admits that gangrene of the lungs seldom takes place in persons in perfect health, and is usu- ally preceded by bronchitis, or some similar pulmonary disorder. In the eleventh number, however, is given a case of gangrene of the lungs, in the person of a soldier, aged 39, who had been epi- leptic from the age of 22; and from this he infers that gangrene of the lungs may ensue on pneumonic inflammation. This ])ro- position, he adds, flows not from the anatomical fact of a thick layer of pneumonic induration -inclosing on all sides the gangre- nous portion; because the inflammation must be consecutive, in the same manner as the inflammatory circle which bounds the gangrene of a limb;—but is founded on the history of the dis- ease, which presented all the clinical characters of a pneumonic at- tack manifestly inflammatory. He afterwards adds, that, though he does not deny entirely the occurrence of primary or idiopathic gangrene of the lungs, that is, gangrene unpreceded by inflamma- tory disorder, yet he believes it to be extremely rare; because, in the majority of cases, the general and local symptoms of gangrene were preceded by general and local symptoms of pneumonia,* None of the cases recorded by the two latter authors appear to me to establish so clearly, as that which has been now recorded, the inference now mentioned. Not only do the history and course of the symptoms lead very directly to this inference, that the disease was originally an attack of pneumonia; but the whole of the appearances found in the dead tjody strongly corroborated the same view. If further confirmation, 'however,'be wanting, I think it is furnished by one if not both of the two next cases. 'I'his question is not, like some of those in pathology, merely a point of barren speculation not applicable to practice. It is, on the contrary, one of great importance in a therapeutic point of * Anatomic Pathologiqiie <lu Corps Humain, onzienie I.iviaison. Paris, 18;i3. Folio.