The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-24
QlheqtttelEiaentaH
SUDDEN DEATH.
An Interesting Treatise on Apo
plsxy.
How to Prevent It.
Valuable Suggestions For All.

SS6S1 SSsASAb - "a AtAt
ny a WtR.known Medical Author IN ne Fhrc.
biological Journal.
Almost every day In the year wO read,
In the daily papers, OF some petsOu dy.
Ing suddenly, without prior indIsposI.
tlon, or even the least pTemonitIon oil
any serious aIlment. In many cases
these persons were Of vigorous conBti.
tutions, In the prime Of life, unaccus-
toned to sickness, and, so far o. they
were conscious, In the enjoyment OF
their usual measure OF health up to the
moment OF attack And these cases,
like dyspepsia and consumption, seem
TO be on tho increase In frequency and
fatality among uB. Hon, Henry j,
Raymond, OF New York, and Rev,
Patrick Henry Greenleaf, OF Brooklyn,
are among the more DISTINGUISHED
names Of the recent Victims. Why
did they die 80 suddenly and unex-
pectedly?
THE RATIONALE.
In most cases these persons die OF ap.
oplexy. What Is apoplexy2 Simply,
congestion OF the brain. And what 10
congestion of the brAlnH Nothing
more nor less than an lnordinRte and
disproporLionate accumulation OF blood
10 the vessels OF that organ. In other
words, the immediate cause OF death Is
that condition OF the blood.vesSels OF
the brain which 10 medical parlance Is
termed 'engorgement.'
II Is not difficult 10 understand the
rationale OF a variety OF morbItic con-
ditions-whlch are recognized In the
Nosology as distinct diseases
proxlmAtO cause Is overdIslentiOn Of
the blood vessels OF tho brain. 'Sun-
stroke IL familiar example, This Is
an apoplectlc condition caused by ex-
Cessive heat. The delirium OF fever Ia
owing to determination OF blood to
the brain. 'COnReslIve feyers' are
merely ordinary ievers with u dIsprO.
portlonAte quantity Of blood In the
brain, occaslonIng symptoms aome-
what analogous to those Of apoplexy.
In cholera there ls so strong delerml.
nation Of fluids 10 the bowels, and such
drain OF serum from the blood, that
the brain ls not engorged; conseQ uent-
ly there Is but little disturbance OF the
mental functions. the mind usually re.
manning clear, even In the stage OF
collapse. This IL precisely opposite to
the condition Induced by alcohol. To-
bAcco, opium, and similar drugs. These
occasion, In small doses, slight delIri-
UNI; In larger doses, a greater degree
Of delirium, and In very large doses,
stupor and acknowledgement apo.
plexy. These various effects, III well
as those states Of oppressed cerebral
circulation termed coma, leIhargy,
anesthesla, etc., whether induced by
chlOroform; ether, nitrous oxide, or the
pure narcotics, are all attributable 10 Va.
rious degree OF congestion OF the brain.
II the vessels OF the brain are dis.
tened beyond certain point, the
pressure on the brain substance In.
terrupts the transmission OF nervous
force TO the muscles, all vital activity
ceases, and death Is instantaneous
much so as when an electric flash from
Leyden jar, or from the surcharged
storm cloud, DISCREPANCIES the nerve.
tissue aud causes instant death.
The functions oil the mental organs
feeling aud thinking-Aud the nutrition
OF the BRAIN material, can only be per.
formed within certain Limitations as TO
quantity OF blood In the brain. II the
blood be supplied In due quantity and
OF proper quality 10 the brain, all OF Its
mental and vital operations 20 on nor
mally and harmoniously. If tho
quantity be gradually dimInlshed be-
low the normal standard, the mind be.
comes feeble, apRthetle, demenIed, idI-
otto. II the blood be suddenly and
rapidly ahstracted from the brain, or
diverted TO the other parts OF the body,
Byncope or falntlng Is the result. II
the blood be distracted from the system
very slowly, as In certain cases OF hem.
orrHge, the superficial capillarIes be.
come measurably emptied, and the
whole current Of blood, while going
ltS Ceaseless round and passing through
the heart and lungs once Ia three
minutes, Is pressed IN upon the inter.
nal v]scera, and more especially upon
the brain, occasloninR that PATHOLOGY.
cal condition OF disturbed circulation
termed rush Of blood to the head' II
the quantity OF blood In tho brain be
unduly aud gradually increased,
torpor. :Coma, oephalAlgiH, stupOr, etc.,
arc the evidences. But If il be
very suddenly and very rapidly Ia.
creased to great extent, ApOpIexy is
the consequence. Various iurms and
degrees OF mental Authorization, dell.
rum, insanity, monUmania, etc, de.
pend, for their proximRte cause, on the
relative amount Of blood which OCcu-
pies the vessels OF the brain.
j. EXCITING CAUSES.