Researches on the pathology of the brain. Part II. On Apoplexy / by John Abercrombie.

Date:
[1818]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Researches on the pathology of the brain. Part II. On Apoplexy / by John Abercrombie. 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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    her throat, and to have shewn some convulsive motions of her arms. In the intervals she was sensible, and complained of her head. About eight o’clock in the morning of the 8th, she sunk into coma. I saw her for the first time at ten ; she was then completely insensible ; breathing stertorous; face rather pale; pupil contracted ; pulse of good strength and a little frequent. Repeated blood-letting, purga- tive injections, &c. were employed, and in the evening she had so far recovered, that when raised up in bed she took into her hand a glass containing purgative medicine, and drank it. She appeared to attempt to speak, but could not. Soon after she relapsed into coma. Pulse at night there was no paralysis. 9th.—Perfect coma. Died at 4 P. M. ^ Dissectidn.—In the anterior lobe of the right hemisphere of the brain theie was a cavity containing a mass of coagulated blood, the size of a small hen’s egg. From this cavity the blood had burst a passage through the substance of the brain downwards; had spread in all directions under the base of the brain, and upwards, on both sides, under the dura mater, so that portions of it w’cre found on the upper surface, on both sides of the falx. The substance of the brain surrounding the cavity just mentioned, was soft and much broken down. The ventricles were empty, and all the blood-vessels appear- ed remarkably empty. Case XIV—Mr aged about 46, of short stature, full flabby habit, and sallow complexion, a literary man, and very sedentary, while speaking in a public meeting, on 28th April 1807, was seizec^ with an uneasy sensation in his head, “ as if his head would have burst, or as if the brain had been too big for the skull.” This feel- ing soon went off, and he continued his speech. When he had done he left the room, and felt himself extremely unwell; he had cold shivering, nausea, and repeated vomiting; complained of headach, and faintness; his face was pale, and his pulse feeble. After some time he was able to walk home, where 1 saw him at 9 P. M., an hour or rather more after the attack. He then complained of violent pain in the right side of his head ; it came on in paroxysms, and in the in- tervals he was much easier; he had nausea, and repeated vomiting ; be felt cold and faint; his face was jiale and sallow; his pulse wta and rather frequent; he was quite sensible, but much uiipres- Bcu, and answered questions very slowly. , 1 hl^-’d'from the arm, and the pulse improving under the bleeding, it was continued to about §xxx. but without relief. Ho became gradually more and more oppressed, and by 11 P. M. had un in o coma, with stertorous breathing, and complete insensibi- lity. Ill this state he continued till six o’clock in the followiinr lorning, w en e died. More blood had been taken from the tem- other usual remedies employed, without the coSp ‘f’ • his life the pulse varied considerably being at times slow and oppressed, at other ti nes frequcnl a»d fu]|, and the trantitiene from ,c one talc to II e othe