Cases of morbid anatomy : read before the Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York, on the eighth of June, 1815 / by John W. Francis.

  • Francis, John W. (John Wakefield), 1789-1861.
Date:
1815
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of morbid anatomy : read before the Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York, on the eighth of June, 1815 / by John W. Francis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    part, externally, was attached a luberculated excrescence two inches in length, and half an inch in breadth. This patient, as was stated upon the best evidence, had undergone extreme corporeal suffering for more than twenty years, in consequence of a most weak and irritable con- dition of the digestive organs, and an uncommon state of the hepatic viscus.* But subsequent observation and experience will determine, whether this idea of the predisposing causes of these affections of the oesopha- gus and of the stomach, be tenable or not. It has been observed by Sir Everard Home, that where strictures of the oesophagus have been of long continuance, ulceration takes place on the side of the stricture next the stomach. The case before us furnishes an example directly of an opposite nature : from the cardiac orifice to the commencement of the stricture not the least sign of disease could be discovered. We also find that the stricture preserved its character entire, though the oesophagus was ulcerated to an uncom- mon degree and extent. The causes of the appearance of the stomach meet with a ready solution, when the nature and small quantity of the aliment it received for a long time are considered. That the morbid state of the pancreas must have added to the dis- ordered condition of the digestive organs, will be readily admitted, upon whatever pathological principle the fact is attempted to be explained. In his Observationes Medicse, Tulpius has inserted, at considerable length, the particulars of a remarkable case of diseased pancreas. In this instance, one of the most prominent symptoms of disease was the inability of the patient to sleep, or to find relief in any other than in an erect position ; for whenever he took a horizontal