A cyclopaedia of obstetrics, theoretical, practical, historical, biographical, and critical, including the diseases of women and children / [Charles Clay].

  • Charles Clay
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A cyclopaedia of obstetrics, theoretical, practical, historical, biographical, and critical, including the diseases of women and children / [Charles Clay]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/16 page 45
    ON THE SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, AND TREATMENT, OF PUERPE¬ RAL INSANITY.—By James Reid, M.D., London. Octato. p. 37. Pamphlet. The papers of which the pamphlet before us is composed hare already ap¬ peared in the first and second numbers of the journal of Psychological Medi¬ cine and Mental Pathology. The subject matter is treated with considerable ability, the author having brought together, with no small trouble, a mass of evidence that is of great value, and well worth referring to for information by those who may feel interested in so important a subject. We cannot enter lengthily into its merits, but will give a quotation or two which we think will dispose our readers to read the paper, in the excellent journal in which it has already appeared. After defining what is meant by the term ‘c insanity,” the author proceeds to state—“ From the period of conception, during the whole term of gestation, and up to the termination of suckling, there is an amount of nervous irritability and excitement in the system, which strongly predisposes to cerebral affections ; but the two principal epochs at which this excitability becomes the most dangerous are immediately af ter parturition, and at a later period, when the system is exhausted by a too long-continued ap¬ plication of the infant to the breast. We find cases recorded in which cerebral disorder has commenced immediately after conception, and ceased at the period of quickening : in others, again, it has persisted throughout the whole term of gestation, but terminated on delivery taking place ; whilst in moie rare cases it has still continued until lactation wras relinquished. The whole cerebro-spinal system is much excited during pregnancy, and more especially in the puerperal state ; the senses are often extremely vivid, and the slightest impressions agitate the mind, which is thus ready to receive any false im¬ pressions which may be brought out by a sudden shock, or unexpected and exciting cause: hence the powerful influence of fright, surprise, or other strong emotions, in this condition of the nervous system, acting on a mind al¬ ready predisposed to mania by some hereditary influence.” Speaking of the paucity of good authorities on this subject, the author pays a well merited and just tribute to the memory of Dr. Gooch, whose chapter “ On the Disorders of the Mind of Lying-in Women,” is one of the best we can refer to: he strongly recommends also the perusal of Esquirol’s work. t Some interesting statistics are given in the Hanwell reports, out of 703 fe¬ male cases, ten were from suppressed menstruation. In the Salpetriere, out of 361 cases, fifty-five arose from irregularity of menstruation. Indeed any i serious disturbance in the uterine functions speedily affects the brain, hence fe¬ males are liable to insanity at the period of menstrual cessation. The author :j then proceeds to the consideration of insanity during pregnancy, during labour, and during protracted lactation. Child-birth and suckling furnish a large pro¬ portion of cases—according to Esquirol, 144 to 1119—in the Charenton, 10 to 256—Haslam, 84 to 1644. The causes of insanity are then spoken of, prognosis— duration— termina-
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