A probationary essay on feigned and factitious diseases, chiefly on soldiers and seamen : submitted, by authority of the President and his council, to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, when candidate for admission into their body, in conformity to their regulations respecting the admission of ordinary fellows / By Hector Gavin, M.D. Licentiate for the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, formerly President of the Hunterian Medical Society, member of the Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh.

  • Gavin, Hector.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A probationary essay on feigned and factitious diseases, chiefly on soldiers and seamen : submitted, by authority of the President and his council, to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, when candidate for admission into their body, in conformity to their regulations respecting the admission of ordinary fellows / By Hector Gavin, M.D. Licentiate for the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, formerly President of the Hunterian Medical Society, member of the Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    tion, cold sweats, coldness of the extremities, and great paleness of the countenance ; and without these, the seeming exhaustion, or alleged loss of muscular power, will not impose on any person of experience. The state of the countenance alone suffices to indicate the real disease in al- most every case. If ligatures are supposed to be used to prevent the pulse being felt, the body should be examined naked ; so also, if lotions have been applied to the face to give it a pale colour, let it be washed. The causes assigned for producing the disease, and the rapidity with which the symptoms have presented themselves, should also be noticed. It is hardly necessary to state, that the sur- geon must, in all cases where the slightest doubt exists, take the side of mercy. 19. Palpitatio.—This disease has been fre- quently excited, as well in our own as in the French service. Both internal and external means have been employed to excite this affec- tion. By means of ligatures bound tight round the neck and upper part of the arms, the circu- lation has been greatly disturbed, and the inten- tion of simulators nearly effected. Dr. Hennen relates a most interesting case of violent palpitation of the heart, which was pro- duced by the man’s own efforts. Dr. Hennen found that he could at any time render the af- fection very imperfect by throwing the patient’s