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
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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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    sisted of females, and from the expression, if she would, appear to suffer most from the singular convulsion. 56. Paralysis and Tetanus.—A widow, aged 37 years, entered La Charite complaining of violent palpitation, tightness of the chest, and pain in the left side, all which she attributed to a fall about 18 months previously at a time when she was in the habit of being bled every two months. The pulse was found to be irregular and intermittent, and the heart beat over a considerable space; no oedema was observed. .She wasthe mother of five children, and was always well until some afflictions and misfortunes disturbed her health and reason. Bleeding from »he arm and by leeches and a rigid regimen abated the cardiac symptoms, but they were suc- ceeded by violent hemicrania, chiefly of the right side, which was relieved by the application of cold water in the night. Whenever it was thus relieved, she felt distressing numbness and stiffness in her limbs. In the course of a short time, there was complete para- lysis of the right side, with loss of sensation. In the beginning of September, the right lower extremity, hitherto paralytic, became rigidly extended and tetanic. When flexion was forcibly induced great pain followed. Both thumbs were then similarly affected, and little sensibility remained in either of the arms. Moxas to the loins restored sensibility to the legs, but a most intense pain was now felt in the region of the heart, radiating from thence along the lelt arm. There was no fever nor convulsions. Next day a sense of constriction was felt in the throat, deglutition became difficult, and the voice was extinct. During the next four days, various hysterical phenomena showed themselves, and were ended by the appearance of the catamenia, and complete disappearance of all the previous teasing symptoms. 57. Tetanus.—A strong country girl was pursued whilst men- struating by a dog which she thought mad. She was consequently very much alarmed, and the menses were suppressed. They did not reappear at the usual periods, and in September following, she suffered from creeping sensations in the legs, together with slight spasms and involuntary motions. These disappeared in a few days, but returned a month afterwards with greater severity. The legs now also became forcibly flexed on the thigh, so that the heels touched the nates, and every attempt to extend them produced the most acute suffering. In five days these symptoms disappeared, the a fleeted parts feeling weak only. In a month the same phenomena recurred and continued again for five days only, but left her much weaker in her legs, so that her gait was vacillating. Leeching and cupping the loins, vapour of water to the pudenda, with leeches, baths, and other measures, had the ellect of restraining the muscular spasms, but did not restore the catamenial discharge. Eleven months after their first suppression, the menses became copious, and the patient ever after enjoyed excel- lent health. 58. Epilepsy and dysphagy.—An unmarried female when aged