A handbook of pathological anatomy and histology : with an introductory section on post-mortem examinations and the methods of preserving and examining diseased tissues / by Francis Delafield and T. Mitchell Prudden.
- Francis Delafield
- Date:
- 1897
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A handbook of pathological anatomy and histology : with an introductory section on post-mortem examinations and the methods of preserving and examining diseased tissues / by Francis Delafield and T. Mitchell Prudden. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.
826/876 page 800
![ADDISON'S DISEASE. This name is applied to a disease especially characterized by a peculiar pigmeutation of the skin and by certain changes in the ad- renals. The patients become very anaemic, but are not emaciated. They suffer from cerebral symptoms, great prostration, syncope, and derangements of the functions of the stomach and intestines. The pigmentation of the skin is the symptom which has especiallj- attacted attention. The change in color usually begins and becomes most marked in those parts of the skin which are not covered b}- the clothing or are naturally darker colored. The rest of the skin after- ward changes color, but not uniformly, white pa,tches being left. The color is at first a light yellow or brown; this becomes darker un- til it is of a dark greenish, grayish, or blackish brown. The mucous membrane of the tongue, lips, and gums maj^ be pigmented in the same way. Under the name of Addison's disease different observers have de- scribed cases in which the symptoms and bronzed skin existed with- out disease of the adrenals; cases in which the bronzed skin was the only lesion; and cases in which the adrenals were diseased without symptoms or bronzed skin. We hardly know as yet what are really the characteristic lesions of the disease. The Skin.—The discoloration of the skin is due to deposit of yel- lowish-brown pigment in the deeper layers of the epidermis, espe- cially in the layer covering the papillce, and less constant]} in the connective tissue of the cutis. The Brain.—Pigmentation of the gray matter, acute meningitis, chronic meningitis, and distention of the ventricles with serum have been observed. 27^6 Heart.—The muscular fibres may be the seat of fatt}'- degen- eration. The Sijmpathetic Nerves may show a variety of changes ap- parently due to chronic inflammation, especially the nerves which are in contact with the adrenals. Various changes in the semilunar ganglia have been described.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2150782x_0826.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
