The pathology and treatment of Asiatic cholera, so called / by A.L. Cox.

  • Cox, Abm. L. (Abraham Lidden), 1800-1864.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The pathology and treatment of Asiatic cholera, so called / by A.L. Cox. 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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    the corpse as well as to tlie dryness of the whole body. Decompo- sition is in no other case, so tardy in its approach. When collapse commences it is ushered in with nausea, for the intestinal tube has become irritated through its whole extent, and the stomach begins to sympathize completely ; then the respiration ceases to produce warmth, the skin changes its color, and the symp- toms of approaching death are present. The diarrhoea which precedes the collapse, and the collapse which succeeds the diarrhoea, thus appear to constitute the Avhole disease. How useless, then, are the terras premonitory symptoms and cholera to express the true idea of the different periods of this epidemic. The whole disease is comprehended in these words, diarrhoea and collapse! TWO STAGES OF COLLAPSE. Collapse may be properly regarded as consisting of two stages. The first stage continues from the earliest appearance of the symp- toms which describe it, until the blood has had time to coagulate. During this time, although the collapse may be complete, yet there exists a possibihty of the patient's recovery. In fact cases often recover. The second stage comes on with the formation of coagula, and in addition to the symptoms described in the first stage, it is marked by a pecuhar, imperfect, and feeble action of the heart, and by the gradual cessation of pulsation in the minute arteries of the head and extremities. This absence of pidsation extends towards the heart, until that organ also ceases all motion. In the second stage of col- lapse recovery is impossible because of the existence of the clot. Respiration still continues. Nor is the heart's inaction positive evidence of coagulation, for cases of rapid recovery have fcikeu place after this event, a circumstance which forbids the idea of the blood having coagulated.