The pathology and treatment of yellow fever : with some remarks upon the nature of its cause and its prevention / by H.D. Schmidt.

  • Schmidt, H. D. (Henry D.), 1823-1888.
Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The pathology and treatment of yellow fever : with some remarks upon the nature of its cause and its prevention / by H.D. Schmidt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    older theories, must be taken into consideration. Thus, the former theories of the processes of fever and inflammation have been placed upon different bases, greatly by the labors of Virchow. The febrile process was still shrouded in mystery, until, not many years ago, by numerous experiments relating to the interchanges of matter and the production of heat in tlie blood during this process, more light was thrown upon it. With the knowledge of modern pathology, therefore, the nature of yellow fever should now be more successfully studied, and means be devised to miti- gate, at least, the disease, and deprive it of its terror. The systematic and thorough labors of European pathologists into the pathology and treatment of small-pox, typhus and typhoid fever, diphtheria, and other infectious diseases, may serve as an example. The late epidemics at New Orleans and Memphis have furnished suflBcient material for such studies; and though we earnestly hope that these calamities will not be witnessed again, we must pre- sume that sporadic cases of yellow fever will always occur to serve for more thorough and systematic studies than have hitherta been made. The future studies into the pathology of yellow fever, however, in order to be productive, should be made with sufiScient accuracy and system, as otherwise they could only give rise to false im- pressions and confusion. The clinical phenomena of the indi- vidual cases, particularly the comparative state of the pulse and temperature, the gastric and nervous phenomena, the apparent condition of the bowels and bladder, and the frequency and char- acter of the discharges from the latter organs should be closely observed and carefully noted, in order to be accurately compared with the pathological changes met with in the various organs after death. It is only from investigation of this kind, system- atically pursued with the necessary accuracy of observation by trustworthy and experienced pathologists, who are. besides, thoroughly acquainted with the normal structure of tlie organs, that additional facts may be elicited. Such labors, however, are not as easily and as readily performed as is imagined. The pos- session and the knowledge of handling a microscope do not suffice for the correct recognition and determination of pathological changes, nor do they qualify every microscopic operator for labors