On healthy and diseased structure and the true principles of treatment for the cure of disease : especially consumption and scrofula; founded on microscopical analysis.

  • Addison, William, 1802-1881.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On healthy and diseased structure and the true principles of treatment for the cure of disease : especially consumption and scrofula; founded on microscopical analysis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    The term constitution or diathesis, as applied to the human structure, expresses only certain qualities here- ditary or acquired; and as the structure must exist before its qualities can be known; so it is evident that morphological phenomena must be the antecedents, of which the constitution or diathesis is the consequent. We may form a suspicion of the diathesis of a person by the hue of the complexion, the colour of the hair, and the contour of the face, but a practical conclusion is rather to be drawn from the phenomena of any irregular morphological action, which may occur,— from the behaviour of the textures under the infliction of wounds and injuries, or under the ordinary and common forms of illness,—measles—dentition—scarlet fever and hooping-cough—to which all growing human structures are liable. When a bone is broken, a joint sprained, or a wound inflicted on the skin, the phenome- na—times and stages of the reparative process in healthy bodies or in good constitutions—have been ascertained by experience and recorded;—any unusual prolongation of the period or any irregularity in the operation of a cure being rightly attributed to a scrofulous diathesis. Tubercular consumption and phthisis are terms used to designate that species of disease which is character- ised by the filling up of the air-spaces of the lungs and the destruction of the vascular parenchyma by a soft, brittle, white matter, named tubercle and tuberculous matter. Recent authors have differed in their opinions regarding the seat and nature of tubercles in the lungs,