The first medical report of the Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest, presented to the Committee of Management, by the physicians of the institution.

Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The first medical report of the Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest, presented to the Committee of Management, by the physicians of the institution. 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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    Symptomatology. Table XVI. Showing the Proportions of Insane Sons and Daughters to Insane Fathers and Mothers, respectively.—(From New York Report.) Number of Cases. Father Insane. Per Cent. Mother Insane. Per Cent. Sons 117 64 54.6 53 45.3 Daughters .. 147 67 45.4 80 54.4 Both father and mother were insane in the cases of 4 males and 5 females. These facts alone, illustrating the influence of sex on the transmission of disease, afford very striking evidence that such transmission takes place. They indicate, also, an important consideration in a social point of view—viz., that those persons who have a tendency to the disease should, before entering on the social relation of married life, reflect on the great probability there is of transmitting this disease to their offspring : the consideration applies to both sexes, but in an especial manner to females; and shows that maternal influence, whether for good or evil, is not less important in a physical than in a moral point of view. II. Symptomatology. It cannot be doubted that it is an object of the first importance to be able to detect the existence of Phthisis at its very commencement, inasmuch as it is well known that there is a stage in its progress after which cure must be considered almost hopeless ; whereas many examples present themselves, in which the detection of the disease at an early period has led to the adoption of such remedies as have practically cured it. No doubt exists that many persons, in whose lungs tubercular matter has been deposited to a limited extent, have been so far restored as to enjoy a fair degree of health, and attain the average duration of human life. In a large proportion of such cases, the physical signs furnished by auscultation and percussion, in conjunction with the general symptoms, leave little doubt regarding the nature of the disease; but not a few instances occur in which, although there are some reasons foi sus-