On alcoholism, the various forms of alcoholic delirium and their treatment / by V.Magnan ; translated by W. S. Greenfield.

  • Valentin Magnan
Date:
1876
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On alcoholism, the various forms of alcoholic delirium and their treatment / by V.Magnan ; translated by W. S. Greenfield. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    tito ; tlio bites oii the tongue are cieatrizctl, wliicb enables liim ta cat more bread and meat. Tlio tint of tlie skin continues ])ale, but tbo face is less puffy ; trembling of tlio bands persists. Tbe urine still gives some traces of albumen. Nov. 11th. Nights good, sleep without dreams; answers clear and sensible ; trembling of hands less ; little trembling of speech; countenance not so pale ; aspect composed ; appetite better, diges- tion regular. Urine no longer gives any deposit of albumen. Nov. I'Stb. Improvement continues. His friends have been to see him, and have told him of tbe state of bis business, which is going on badly; he is uneasy about it, thinks about it a good deal, and wants to go out soon to look after it. The urine gives a slight precipitate with heat and nitric acid. Nov. 20th. Marked improvement; the trembling of the hands grows less every day ; the voice is clear *, speech not tremulous. The countenance is resuming its natural expression, and is gaining a little colour. The digestive functions are regular; sleep calmer; urine does not give the slightest precipitate. Cl stays in till the 23rd of November, at which time he is allowed to go out on account of his business, although his health was not as yet altogether re-established. Second attack. Cl is brought back to Bicetre on April 28th, 1864. According to the account given, he has never ceased drinking since he went out; he took less brandy, but addicted himself constantly to absinthe. He has got drunk several times, and at those times become irritable and struck his wife. His con- stantly tottering health has made him incapable of all work; and he has kept his bed for three weeks, for an attack of inflam- mation of the lungs. It is now five days ago, that after having indulged again in absinthe he had a convulsive attack resembling the two attacks which he had last year. On his entry, he is very pale, pufiy-looking, his lips violet, the sclerotica and the labio-nasal furrow yellowish, eyes suffused, and look restless; he hunts about everywhere, goes round his bed, lifts up the clothes, clings to surrounding objects, takes hold of his neighbours and holds them forcibly, then lets them go, then goes towards them ; goes about in every direction and seems to be the sport of numer- ous hallucinations of sight and hearing ; answers questions incom- pletely, and cannot fix his attention for an instant; ho pronounces two or three words, then turning round looks alarmed, and mut- ters some incomprehensible words. His walk is uucertam, on the least touch he gives a'start and turns sharply round quite scared.