Medical report of the Royal Lunatic Asylum of Aberdeen, for the year ending 31st December, 1873.

  • Royal Lunatic Asylum of Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Scotland)
Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical report of the Royal Lunatic Asylum of Aberdeen, for the year ending 31st December, 1873. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    that he required to be fed frequently, getting only a small quantity at a time. On the morning of the 27th October, he was unable to get out of bed, and when examined he was found to be unconscious, lying quite and motionless, breathing heavily. He died at two p.m. this day. Post-Mortem Examination twenty hours after death. Body emaciated, several boils about the sacrum and trochanter, and one on the left cheek. Head.—On removing the scalp, there was found an ecchymosis on the right parietal bone. The left side of the frontal bone was markedly more jirominent than the right, and the left side of the heart generally smaller than the right. Dura mater healthy—considerable subarachnoid effusion resembling the white of an egg. Ho apparent disproportion between the size of the hemispheres to account for the asymmetry of the calvarium. Brain weighed 48 oz. On section, the puncta vasculosa were found to be larger and more numerous than natural ; there was about 1 oz. of fluid in each lateral ventricle. Plexus choroids slightly cystie. Thorax.—The left lung weighed 16J oz. and the right 14 oz, ; in both lungs there was considerable congestion and extensive Bronchitis. The heart weighed 10 oz. and was loaded with fat ; right cavities contained a quantity of dark fluid blood and some whitish clots ; left cavities contained blood clots, but in a smaller quantity than the right. The tricuspid opening was larger than natural, admitting the points of five fingers. The right ventricle was slightly dilated. The ascending and transverse part of the arch of the aorta was much dilated and affected with atheromatous deposit. The abdomen was not opened. Case XII., G, M., ^Et. 37.—A student ; was admitted 28th October, 1862, being subject to recurrent attacks of maniacal excitment, supposed to have been connected with phthisical disease, and grief at death of father and mother. When admitted he entertained various delusions, e.g., believed that people came to his window at night to compel him to go to his employ¬ ment. He progressively recovered and was discharged on May 2, 1863, as recovered. On August 16, 1864, he was re-admitted, having been maniacally excited for three weeks previously ; after this he gradually progressed into a state of dementia, for years remained in this state, still having symptoms indicating phthisical disease which slowly, but progressively increased, and he died on the 18th November, 1873, Post-Mortem Examination about twenty-four hours after death. Body consideraby emaciated. Head,—The scalp was extremely adherent to the bone. There was considerable injection of the large vessels of the pia mater with black fluid blood. In one or two ^daces the convolutions appeared slightly atrophied, notably on the posterior part of the cerebrum ; there was about two drachms of fluid on each lateral ventricle. Thorax.—Pericardium contained about four ounces of an effusion of a pale yellow colour. The cavities of the heart contained a quantity of black clotted blood. The valves were healthy and the heart weighed 8^ oz.
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