Dissertations, On cynanche trachealis or croup, and On the functions of the extreme capillary vessels in health and disease : to which were awarded the Boylston premiums for the years 1820 and 1823 / by William Sweetser.

  • Sweetser, William, 1797-1875.
Date:
1823
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dissertations, On cynanche trachealis or croup, and On the functions of the extreme capillary vessels in health and disease : to which were awarded the Boylston premiums for the years 1820 and 1823 / by William Sweetser. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    Even at present we are not entirely agreed in its pathology, many physicians still believing it to be a spasmodic affection. The disease of which we are treating is peculiar to children, who appear to be most subject to its attacks from about the time of weaning until their sixth or seventh year. It does, however, occur both earlier and later than these periods. Dr Ferriar observes that he has seen children affected with it almost at all ages under nine ;* and we have well authenticated instances of its occurrence even still later in life than this. It attacks, though not indiscrimi- nately, children of very different habits; we see it both in the healthy and robust, in the sickly and delicate. Cheyne thinks it occurs most commonly in children of very robust constitutions. Others have believed it to be more peculiar to those of a scrofulous disposition. I have heard a medical gentleman of high eminence state, that he has noticed it to occur most frequently in children of a fair complexion, and light hair, who have large heads, short necks, and naturally full round faces.f Both sexes seem equally liable to it. After children have once been affected with croup, the parts on which it has its seat seem more ready, perhaps, as some believe, from the influence of habit, * Medical Observations and Inquiries. t This remark is made in his Lectures by Dr James Jack- son, Professor of the Theory and Practice of Physic in Harvard University. In the four last cases of this disease which have fallen under my observation, two of very recent occurrence, these physical character? in the individuals were very stronglv marked.