The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-24

tnuho AbuoElAhl AuO hAe bOHSG Vi
things normal. ..".I...
Now, II the body 10 duly supplied
with proper food, pure water, and lresh
air, and placed In proper relations to
temperature, Light, exercise, rest, sleep,
clothing, ETC., the balance between
supply and waste will be maintained
and no disease can exist. But II any
one or more OF tho depurating organs
the liver, lungs, skin, kidneys,
and b0wels--become obstructed, this
balance IL destroyed; etTste mat.
tiers GcCumulate; polsons 'lngener,
nle;' tho blood 10 Impoverished,
becomes vlscd, and IL circulated
with difficulty; the capillary vessels lin
which all of the functions OF secretion
and excretion are performsd) become
overloaded and their dIRmetsrs disten.
ded beyond the limit OF normal func-
tional action: the blood globules 10.
come more or less dlsoFgGnIEed; all Of
which conditions tend to Inflammation
hemorrhages, feverS, dlarrheas, Chol.
era, diabetes, etc., according to the seat
OF The chief destruction and the degree
OF engagement, these being the result
OF the sum total OF the patients habits
ofllVlnR. II the brain Is the seat Of The
principal obstruction, some form OF
brainsdisease will result-delirium, co.
ma, or Rppoplexy perhaps. II the brain
congestion be allow aud gradual, the
patient may have paraly sisj but II 1t be
rapid and extreme, he will be sure TO
have apoplexy; and II the bl0od- vessels
OF the brain are stretched beyond q Ger.
tain degree, he will be sure 10 die.
SPECIAL CAUsEs.
While unphysologIcal habits OF eve
~ kind are among the remote causes
or apoplexy, us tending 10 It's produc.
ton directly or Indirectly, there are
certain morblGc Influences and habits
OF life which hRvsa special tendency In
this direction. And these we are no "
to consider, as constituting the special
object OF this paper.
All physicians are aware Of the Init.
mate relation between constipation OF
the bowels and "achlng" In tho head;
and most persons know that "bllious"
conditions OF the stomach occasion VIC.
lent determinations Of blood to the
brain. Whatever, therefore, In the die.
tetIc or other habits of the indI-
viduRl tends to constipation or
bilIiousness may be regarded nsamong
the specially predlspOslng causes OF
apOplexy. A full, plethoric habit Ia
commonly regarded as constituting a
special liability to the disease, and the
phlPGmAtlc temperament Ia supposed
also TO be u predlsposlng condition.
This may be true, other circumstances
being equal. Temperament, however,
per SC, can hardly be regarded as a pre-.
disposition TO any disease; but II may
be said to predIspose to the habits which
produce the predisposltion TO apoplexy.
The idea which l wish to indicate is
well expressed in the answer OF u GER
tain distinguished medical professor to
one ofhis patients who wanted 10 know
the cause OF the obesity which the doc.
tor could not cure. 'Slr,' said the pro-
lessor, you have predIsposltlon to
become fat, and q disposition 10 keep
so.'
The conditions or 'lIatheses' termed
plethora and 'billousness' require O
little explanation In order 10 render
their influence, as special causes OF
Rpoplexy, Ineligible. Plethora itself
Is merely an oVerlullness Of all the ca.
plllary vessels, rendering any organ or
part or the body liable TO congestion on
the occurrence Of auy accidentally dis
turbInE influence; but this overfullness
or plethora does not consist In the pa
tent having too much blood, as many
imagine (reQuIrlng bleeding as II rene.
dy), but in a redundancy OF etfete or
waste matters In the blood consequent
on defective depuration. Obesity, pie.
thora, fairness, and biliousness are
states In which the blood or areolar
tissue Is loaded with impurities. 1t III
these, and not the blood, which should
be removed from the system, In order
10 render the circulation free, Conges-
tlous avoidable, and apoplexy lmpos.
slble.
In the plethorlC dIathesis all Of the
eXcretory organs are nearly equally de.
feCtive ln action; hence the blood Is be-
fouled with the retained matters which
should have passed Off In the form Of
sweat, bile, urine. feCes, and carboniC
acid gas. But In The bilious dIathesis
the liver Is Inactive or torpid In do
gree greatly dlsprOportIoned TO the
state Of tho other excretory organs;
hence the blood is more especially load.
ed with the elements Of bile-wIth
those waste matters Of the body which
should have been exCreted from the
blood and passed of In tho shape OF
bile. These retained hillary matters
render the blood thick, viscid, incapa
Bile OF passing readily through the mil.
lions OF minute capillary tubes which
rnmlfy through every tissue, structure
aud vlscus, and hence obstructing their
channels, causing the blood to 0ccumu.
late In the part, overwhelming the ves.
sells until, perhaps, they lose the power
10 contract normally, and ending final.
ly IN permanent congestion, and pos
sihly speedy death. Very lat, and very
plethorlc, and very cOrpulent lanother
name for fatness) persons are always
liable TO die suddenly Of apoplexy.
Why4 Because the whole mass OF blood
Is so loaded with Impurities, with OBJ
structiug materials which are not ex-
creted, that any slight disturbance Of
the circulation may at any Atime cause
such a degree Of pressure on the brain
as TO arrest all Its functions 10 an
instant. II any ono can cOmpre-
bend how blow on the head
may destroy, instantaneously the
life Of tho smallest or largest animal or
human being, he ought 10 be RblC to
understand how a certain force OF pres.
sure within the bones OF the head lex.
actly analogous to a blow on tie out.
side) should produce the same elect.
Very fat, plethorlc, or cOrpulent per-
sons often TALL from the table while
partaking OF an ordinary meal OF
vlctuRls, and cease to breathe. The
shock OF a cold shower-bath, tho ad~
ministratIon ofchlorofOr or any VIC.
lent exertion OF. body or emotion OF
mind may terminate life In few min.
utes. Persons who work their brains
much while the bowels are habItually
constIpated or the liver habitually clog =.
ged land worse II these conditions 60.
EXIST, keep the blood.Vessels of the
brain constantly on the stretch; they
become more and more distended and
relaxed, until finally a state OF perma-
nent or chronic congestion Is estab-
llshed, and then any exciting cause,
insignificant In Itself, may prove serI-
Gus and ever fatal. A 1t OF anger,
sudden grief, severe disappointment, or
any violent passion OF mind or exer-
tlou Of body, In this congested state Of
the blood-vessels OF the brain, Ia ex.
tremely Injurious, and even absolutely
dangerous TO lite.
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