Being anxious to obtain additional evidence with respect to the production of Meningitis in children by protracted suckling, rather from the experience of others than my own, I shall feel greatly obliged to any practitioners who will favour me (free of postage) with either facts or cases tending to corroborate the truth of the doctrine contained in the preceding pages; and should I be enabled publicly to avail myself of such communications, it is, perhaps, unnecessary to say, I shall not neglect the opportunity of expressing my acknowledgments to their respective authors. The intelligence and liberality characterising the members of the medical profession generally, preclude all apprehension on my part that the above appeal will be made in vain.
A dark-green substance of variable consistence, contained in the bowels of infants at birth.
I beg leave to observe that I make these statements with some confidence as the result of personal inquiries instituted a few years ago among the patients of two of the Lying-in Establishments of this metropolis.
Since the above was written, a friend who lectures on Chemistry in the metropolis has kindly promised me his valuable assistance in making the experiments here suggested.
In two cases where suckling was protracted tothree years, the subjects of this baneful practice did not equal in size an ordinary child of half their age. One of them became idiotic, and afterwards died of Hydrencephalus, under my care; the other was affected with Tabes Mesenterica,—the result I did not witness—but believe the disease terminated fatally.
Vide Medical and Physical Journal for August 1827.
That is, any period beyond nine or ten months.
Meningitis,—I use this term as being more pathologically correct thanCephalitis, which I formerly adopted.
See the above conditional sense in which I employ this term.
It is a curious fact, which I believe has not been noticed by any other writer, that female children labouring under attacks of Meningitis are sometimes affected with leucorrhœal discharges. I have met with several cases of this description: the children also of women subject to leucorrhœa will often, at an early age, be found affected with the same disease. Hence it would appear that leucorrhœa is occasionally hereditary.
It is unquestionable, notwithstanding the scepticism of some practitioners on the subject, (whose opinions are entitled to deference,) thatrecovery may take place, under appropriate treatment, in cases of Meningitis, even after effusion has unequivocally occurred. Preceding authors have noticed this fact, which I can confirm by my own experience. Practitioners cannot be too frequently reminded of it, and warned not to despair of success even in the last stage of Hydrencephalus.
For the information of theunprofessionalreader, I beg to observe, that the membranes of the brain areserous membranes.
It will be observed hereafter, that Mr. North has experienced similar beneficial effects from the course above recommended, in cases whereconvulsionshave been caused bydiseased milk;—a strong corroborative coincidence.
I believe that where the milk is greatly diminished in quantity, it will also be found deteriorated in quality.
In the communication above referred to from Mr. Griffith is the following:—'Mrs. A. has a family of four children, all of whom she suckled for a period varying fromseventeentotwenty-two months:—not one of the four is healthy.'
BY THE SAME AUTHOR,
Preparing for publication, in one small volume, 8vo.OUTLINES of INFANTILE SEMEIOLOGY; or, anArrangement of the Principal Symptoms of DISEASE in INFANTSand CHILDREN, with the best modes of detecting them;—interspersedwith Practical Observations, and intended as a clinical guide to Students,&c. &c.
Preparing for publication, in one small volume, 8vo.
OUTLINES of INFANTILE SEMEIOLOGY; or, anArrangement of the Principal Symptoms of DISEASE in INFANTSand CHILDREN, with the best modes of detecting them;—interspersedwith Practical Observations, and intended as a clinical guide to Students,&c. &c.
Also, in 2 vols. 8vo.The EIGHT BOOKS of ARETÆUS of CAPPADOCIAon the Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment of ACUTE and CHRONICDISEASES. Translated literally from the original Greek, and suppliedwith critical and explanatory Notes, Tables of the Weights and Measures,&c. &c.
Also, in 2 vols. 8vo.
The EIGHT BOOKS of ARETÆUS of CAPPADOCIAon the Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment of ACUTE and CHRONICDISEASES. Translated literally from the original Greek, and suppliedwith critical and explanatory Notes, Tables of the Weights and Measures,&c. &c.
By the same Author,Recently published by Longman and Co. in 8vo., boards, price 14s.TRAVELS IN RUSSIA, and a RESIDENCE at ST.PETERSBURGH and ODESSA in the Years 1827-29;—intended togive some account of Russia as it is, and not as it is represented to be.
By the same Author,Recently published by Longman and Co. in 8vo., boards, price 14s.
TRAVELS IN RUSSIA, and a RESIDENCE at ST.PETERSBURGH and ODESSA in the Years 1827-29;—intended togive some account of Russia as it is, and not as it is represented to be.
Printed byW. Clowes, Stamford-street.