On the relation of the chest-movements to prognosis in lung-disease : and on the application of stethometry to examinations for life assurance / by Arthur Ransome.

Date:: 1882

Credit: On the relation of the chest-movements to prognosis in lung-disease : and on the application of stethometry to examinations for life assurance / by Arthur Ransome. 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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$in many cases the severity of the attack is declared by the degree to which the forward motion is impaired, whilst the upward movement is unaffected or increased. This exaggeration of upward movement seems to extend in some cases even to the bones on the sound half of the thorax. Take the following movements as an example of this :— Case. Direc- tion of motion. Mid- 3-d ribs. 5th ribs. sternum. Right. Left. Right. Left. Male, ret. 34. Two years ago Forw. 25 50 25 45 30 had pleurisy in left side. Effusion rapidly absorbed. Upw. IOO 120 IOO 120 I 10 The great alteration in the proportions of the forward and upward readings in this case will be evident enough on comparing them with the following measurements taken from a healthy man, of the same age and stature. Healthy case. Direc- tion of motion. Mid- 3rd ribs. 5th ribs. sternum Right. Left. Right. 1 Left. ; Male, aet. 35 j Forw. 96 80 00 102 ] 102 ( U pw. 120 I29 135 135 135 This increase of certain movements, which has now been noted in cases of pleurisy, seems to be only a part of a more general law common to several diseases. There seems to be a tendency in different parts of the chest-wall to compensate for loss of movement in some parts, or in some direction, by an exaggerated movement in those parts that are free to move. \\ e shall presently find that in phthisis numerous$