The surgical diseases and injuries of the stomach and intestines / by F. Bowreman Jessettt.

  • Jessett, Frederic B. (Frederic Bowreman)
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The surgical diseases and injuries of the stomach and intestines / by F. Bowreman Jessettt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    21/348 (page 5)
    be a striking exemplification of this: Napoleon, his father, and his sister Caroline are all reported to have fallen victims to gastric cancer. In a large number of cases under my care hereditary tendency has been distinctly traced. Symptoms.—I will now pass on to the symptoms of the disease, first as they are found generally, and then discuss those which attend the disease when affecting different parts of the organ. Carcinoma is usually ushered in by the ordinary signs of dyspepsia, the patient complaining of indigestion with, in some cases, severe attacks of gastrodynia, and fre- quently pyrosis. Even in this early stage the patient often presents a peculiar sallow appearance and loses flesh. As the disease progresses, vomiting becomes a prominent symptom; often the vomited matters are frothy and fermentous, and contain abundant sarcini ventriculi. The period at which this takes place varies according to the seat of the disease ; frequently the food is ejected so quickly that it leads one to suppose the patient must be suffering from oesophageal cancer. The patient loses flesh rapidly, and, from the constant attacks of severe sharp lancinating pains, wears a most anxious and haggard expression. In some cases distressing flatulence and frequent eructation of often a very offensive character are present. Haematemesis may occur from time to time ; but this is not so commonly met with as was generally supposed. From this point the disease usually progresses very rapidly, the symptoms becoming more and more severe, the vomiting more fre- quent—often of a coffee-ground consistency, the result of an admixture of blood with the contents of the stomach —the pain becomes more intense, and the patient speedily sinks. Towards the last stage the tumour, which may have been apparent before, decreases in size, and thei