The saliva as a test for functional disorders of the liver / by Samuel Fenwick, M.D.

  • Samuel Fenwick
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The saliva as a test for functional disorders of the liver / by Samuel Fenwick, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    A similar state of the saliva may be occasionally observed when from other causes there is a sudden demand made on the nutritive organs. In some cases of haemorrhage occurring in persons whose digestive powers are not impaired, the salivary salt will be found in increased quantity, at the same time that the loss of blood is being rapidly replaced. Thus a woman, about thirty years of age, was admitted into the hos- pital in a very exhausted condition. A few days previously, when she appeared to be in perfect health, she had suddenly fainted, and shortly afterwards had vomited a large quantity of blood, the haemorrhage being repeated twice in the next few hours. There was no return of the bleeding from the stomach, and that it had arisen from some general cause, and not from ulceration of the stomach, was shown by the presence of haemorrhages in the retinas, an absence of pain after food and of all other symptoms of dis- order of the digestion previous to the attack. Two weeks after the attack the sulphocyanide was + 2^, next week + 3, and in the successive weeks + 3, + 2£, and + If, at which latter date it is noted in the case-books that she had quite regained her strength and colour. One month afterwards she was again attacked in the same manner, and was readmitted in a very blanched condition; the amount of the sulpho- cyanide was remarked to be + 2, and continued at that amount until she regained her colour and left the hospital.
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