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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    10 p.m. She fainted this morning; the pulse is 112; the skin is hot; the navel has discharged the fluid as mentioned in the morn- ing ; the bowels are constipated. To take fifteen grains of Dover's powder, and have a common enema. 21. Half-past seven a. m. I was called to see H. O. at two o'clock this morning. She seemed in excruciating agony. The pain was described as being of a spasmodic character, and situate a little to the left and above the umbilicus, where there was a perceptible tumour. The navel discharged so much about an hour before the attack, that the fluid ran down the sides of the abdomen. The pain was aggravated at short intervals, when she grasped the bed-clothes and uttered subdued cries, expressive of great suffering. Hot fomentations, sulphuric ether, and ammonia were found to be of no service. I ordered her to take two-thirds of a grain of opium, and four grains and a half of camphor, every half-hour, until relieved. At present there is no relief afforded, although she has taken six grains of opium, and thirty-six of camphor. The pulse is not quickened,yet the nurse is quite positive she has taken the whole of the medicine. This state of excitement continued until the 24th. No urine was vomited. The average quantity drawn off' by the catheter daily was four ounces. The navul discharged once or Jtvvice a clear fluid like water. The ears discharged the usual red fluid, and a bloody fluid was vomited. At this period the pulse ranged between 06 and 100 or 170 beats per minute; the tongue was tremulous, and coated with a yellow fur, with red points ; the nights were sleep- less ; and sometimes not a morsel of food was taken during the whole day ; yet she looked as plump, fat, and fair as ever. Leeches applied to the sternum produced extensive ccchymosis. No one had access to the patient but the nurse. She was locked up whenever the nurse was absent during the day, and the bed of the latter was in an adjoining room. I have no doubt of the truth of this nurse's statements. On the 25th, for the first time during a considerable period, a urinous fluid was shown by the patient as that which she had vomited. At this date the nurse missed the catheter, which she usu- ally kept in her own possession. The patient's pulse rose to 180, and she had severe febrile symptoms. On the fifth day, a papular eruption appeared on the abdomen, left arm, sternum, and left side of the right breast. On the sixth it appeared on the face ; the eyelids and face generally were swollen. On the seventh day the papulae became confluent, and were interspersed with a few small pustules. On the ninth the eruption desquamated. The febrile symptoms were relieved on the appearance of the eruption ; the usual discharges were scarcely perceptible on the first and second day, and then disappeared. From the 4th to the 16th of May lit- tle change was observed in the symptoms. The sanguineous dis- charges returned. She frequently professed still to vomit a urin- ous fluid, but these vomitings never occurred in presence of the nurse.