On obstruction of the inferior vena cava, with cases / by William Henry Battle.

  • William Henry Battle
Date:
[1888]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On obstruction of the inferior vena cava, with cases / by William Henry Battle. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    swell, and on Thursday the 4th inst. she was obliged to take to her bed. The pain was now very severe, keeping her awake at night. She had medical advice, and the limb was wrapped up in cotton wool. Her bowels are usually con- stipated, and have been more so lately than usual. The catamenia have always been regular. On admission, she is an anaemic, rather delicate-looking girl, complaining of pain and swelling in the left thigh and leg. On examination, the left leg is found to be much hotter than the right, and a good deal swollen. The veins in the thigh along Poupart's ligament are injected on the left side. The pain seems to be severe, and the leg is tender on pressure, especially about the calf and above the knee on both the inner and outer sides; the ankle is also tender on pressure. There is distinct pitting on pressure along the inner side of the shaft of the tibia and over the ankle-joint; there is no pitting over the calf, but it feels tense. The tongue is some- what furred and the bowels are constipated. Pulse regular, rather feeble and compressible. Temp. 102,2°. There was no cardiac murmur. Perfect rest was enjoined, a brisk aperient given, and the patient placed on fever diet, No. 2, with tea, two eggs, and an ounce of red wine. Glycerine and extract of belladonna was applied to the affected leg. 6th.—Iodide of potassium and a vegetable tonic with chloroform was prescribed. 9th.—Pain not quite so severe. Bowels open. Has passed a good night. 10th.—More pain to-day. Cotton wool only applied to the leg, which still feels much better than the other one. 11th.—Expresses herself as feeling better this morning and has less pain. 13th.—Pain still decreasing, but had some during the night. 15th.—This morning she is complaining of pain in the right leg ; it commenced in the groin and spread downwards along the course of the internal saphena vein. There is not much cedema of the limb and no pitting on pressure. The small veins about Poupart's ligament are injected as on the left side. The left leg is better, there is no pain in that now. The oedema has subsided to a large extent. The internal saphena