An essay on hysteria : being an analysis of its irregular and aggravated forms ; including hysterical hemorrhage, and hysterical ischuria / by Thomas Laycock.

  • Laycock, Thomas, 1812-1876.
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on hysteria : being an analysis of its irregular and aggravated forms ; including hysterical hemorrhage, and hysterical ischuria / by Thomas Laycock. 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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    hours and a half after, she complained of pain and desire to make water. I drew off six drachms of urine. Having occasion, imme- diately after, to leave her for some medicine, I removed every utensil from the ward, (except the bell,) and fastened her in it. I returned in three or four minutes, and found her with her mouth full of the usual urinous fluid, which she immediately put out. lam at a loss to say whence it came, but have little doubt of a deception having been practised. On the same morning, after a short absence, I recommenced my watch, and, with the kind assistance of Mr. Evans, continued it for thirty-three hours. Minutes of the symptoms were taken during this, as well as the former watches, at short intervals. At various periods she complained of pain, heat, and pulsation in different parts;—in the head,ears, middle of sternum, the left breast: —the pain running thence down her right arm, back, hips, &c. She slept for three hours, waking at short intervals. She took no food, and but a few small sips of eoflee or water; the latter she said tasted salt. The tongue was usually white. The finger acquired a peculiarly offensive smell while within her mouth, resembling that of the vaginal discharge after parturition, mixed with a rotten herring-like smell. A piece of brown paper which had been chewed, and had a similar smell, was found in her bed. It had a pudendal hair with it. She said she had chewed it to take the nasty taste out of her mouth. Mr. Evans and myself called in a patient and the nurse, to assist her in putting on a clean shift, and left her for a moment: so soon as our backs were turned she motioned for the spittoon, and put into it from her mouth half an ounce of a urinous fluid similar to the last-mentioned. I am at a loss to say whence she obtained this. There was nothing observed to lead to the sus- picion that it was transferred from the bladder to her mouth, except by means of the chewed paper. But from subsequent observations, it was ascertained that she was unable to pass her urine. The catheter was introduced a few hours after, and twenty ounces of urine drawn off*. An emetic was then administered by direction of Dr. Belcombe. Nothing but fluid was vomited, which had not the slightest urinous taint. Shortly after, her bowels were moved for the first time during eleven days. The stool was composed of soft feces, mixed with hard, dry scybala, resembling flattened nutmegs both in size and shape. From the 27th of March to 6th of April, she was left to the care of the nurse only. The hand-bell was found to have a urinous smell, and was removed. Urine was said to be vomited. This differed from that drawn off at the same time by the catheter, in having no precipitate when kept for some time. The bowels were kept soluble, by frequently repeated doses of cam- phor and extract of colocynth, in combination. The other symp- toms were unchanged. On the 3d April, the navel, and on the 5th, the ears, began to dis- charge the usual red fluid, but less florid. I washed the ears and navel carefully, and examined them closely, but could detect no 2*