History of a case of paraplegia from injury of the spinal chord, causing inertia of the kidneys, and other anomalous symptoms / by John Home Peebles.

Date:
[1834?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of a case of paraplegia from injury of the spinal chord, causing inertia of the kidneys, and other anomalous symptoms / by John Home Peebles. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    not hesitate in admitting the correctness of this statement by M. Denis, after the authenticated account of the case before us, yet it is to be regretted that such singular symptoms had nut been communicated to other members of the profession, so as to have been made the subject of observation among them dur- ing the patient's life. In presenting the history of the foregoing case in as short a form as the protracted nature of the phenomena would per- mit, I have been anxious to substantiate the facts therein re- lated by evidence as satisfactory as the circumstances of the patient would allow. To the authenticity of several of the facts of the case I can myself bear testimony from personal ex- amination of the patient. Thus, I can vouch for the truth of the statements regarding the indentation in the space between the twelfth dorsal and first lumbar vertebrce, the anaesthe- tic state of the integuments below the line specified, the para- plegic state of the lower extremities, and their shrunk and atro- phied condition below the seat of the spinal injury, and the immoveably incurvated or inflected state of the toes. The statements, that the patient has periodical fits of vomit- ing, preceded by a sense of obstruction in the throat; that the contents of the bowels are never evacuated ; and that the urine has been entirely suppressed for so long a period, with the urinous odour of the matters rejected by vomiting, I should wish to rest on the observation of the jailer, and Drs Menato and Montesanto, who have observed the patient with much vi- gilance and assiduity. I may remark, nevertheless, that when we reflect on the po- sition of the patient, which must render almost impracticable any deception for so long a period ; and, on the other hand, the serious responsibility of the attendants in such circum- stances under an Austrian government, we must unite with Sir William Money in thinking that any attempt to impose in this case must be quite impossible. Besides, the truth of Dr Montesanto's Reports to the Royal Academy of Padua has never been doubted by the members of that Institution, many of whom, individuals of intelligence and science, have frequently examined the patient. Nor have even the local authorities called in question the accuracy of these facts, which have been unreservedly laid before them. In closing this communication, I should now make some observations on the singular phenomena here presented to our notice; but the length to which this paper has already un- avoidably extended will oblige me to postpone any remarks to another time, when I hope 1 shall be able to lay further par- ticulars of the case before the Society. Printed by John Sturk, Old Assembly Close.