Contributions to physiology and pathology / by J. Moorhead.

  • Moorhead, J.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Contributions to physiology and pathology / by J. Moorhead. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    nance, Avith. frequeht knitting of the brow, and when interrogated, replied sharply that he did not understand the question. There was much confusion of thought, and he often applied the hand to his forehead and complained of an uneasy feeling in that region. With regard to the history of the case, I may state that the patient, who holds an appointment in the Civil Service, and is of strictly temperate habits, always enjoyed good health until about two months previously, when he consulted me for an attack of bilious dyspepsia, which, however, soon yielded to treatment. In the course of a few weeks he again saw me, when he complained of difficulty of breath- ing, which came on in paroxysms, but without cough. He also said his spirits were depressed; that he took little interest in passing events, and that his memory began to fail him. He looked anaemic, and appeared to have lost flesh. His conjunctiva), which during the previous illness were of a yellowish tinge, had again acquired their natural hue. The urine, on analysis, was found healthy : its specific gravity was 1023. Having carefully examined the chest and abdomen without discovering any traces of organic lesion, I regarded the case as one of anaemia, and, accordingly, while I advised cessation from duty for a short time, prescribed iron and quinine. Leave of absence was shortly obtained, but I subsequently learned that so devoted was my patient to his duties that he did not allow the time allotted to him to expire before he returned to his office, in which he was engaged many hours daily, while he also omitted taking regularly the medicine prescribed. Though the paroxysms of dyspnoea became more frequent, and the languor in- creased, he still continued in the pursuit of his daily avocation till the 25th of June, on the night of which he retired to rest with his mental faculties sound, though obtuse. When he awoke on the 26th, at six a.m., it Avas stated that he complained of pain in the head and limbs, and exclaimed that he AA'as “going out of his mind.” He soon jumped out of bed, and walked wildly about the room for some minutes, until he was pre- vailed upon by his wife to return to bed, where he remained until I saAv him. When the agitation consequent on my entering the room had subsided, I noted, in addition to the delirium, the following