The New York herald., 1875-12-18
The Case or mr.. o'conor.

For many days Mr.. OConor has been re-
garded as in dying condition, and his
friends and the public had 50 fully accepted
what seemed the inevitable consequence Of
his state that his recovery now would be less
like the restoration Of an invalid than like
the resurrection of one already dead; vet
this result is suddenly contemplated as
possibility. 1t is not well in cases of this
nature to be too sanguine over hopeful signs,
which are frequently delusive. Indeed. it is
common clinical experience that IN many
fatal maladies deceptive rally OF the vital
faculties is the immediate precursor of the
end 1t is not yet certain that the better
appearances chronicled in Mr.. O'Conor's case
may not be of this melancholy nature; but 1T
may surely be said, however, that they pre-
sent different aspect. They are, indeed, not
simply better appearances of the case, but
favorable symptoms of the restored activity
of the digestive organs, the failure of which
was the original source of trouble.
People who hear that their friends are i'll
make naturally, that first inquiry, ''With
what disease?" And in the case of distin-
whole community, this curiosity is only the
more extensively INDUCED. There seems
some satisfaction to the thought when people
learn the disease. They can picture the
mans condition to themselves, for they have
all seen cases of all ordinary maladies. But
the name, "follicular atrophy" that has been
put forth as a response to the common
= 4. \ a H.
eral knowledge as it goes beyond the popu-
lar acquaintance with medical terminology.
''Follicular atrophy," or atrophy of the mu-
cous membrane of the stomach, is patho-
logical condition that has been associated
with certain symptoms only since the mi
croscope has been freely used in medical
investigation. Older doctors might have
given the disease some such vague designa-
ton as consumption of the stomach, which
would have sufficiently indicated that the
stomach was the offending organ, and that
death was threatened by wasting process
from tn failure Of nutrition.
In this disease the formidable, practical
fact is that the process Of digestion stops in
proportion to the severity of the case in SO
far as digestion is performed in the stomach.
For general comprehension the mucous
membrane of the stomach may be compared
to thin layer of sponge lining the organ ;
but the little orifces that are seen in the
sponge must be supposed for accuracy to be
of microscopic proportions. In these minute
tube-like perforations or 'sfollicles" is elab-
grated the peculiar principle which gives the
gastric juice its digestive capacity. Ii the
circulation is deranged their operation is dis
turbed; if the nerves under the influence of
which they perform their function are disor-
dered the gastric juice loses its character in
some degree, and digestion is inefficiently
or irregularly carried on. If the derange-
ment Of the circulation is greater, or if there is
any considerable loss of nervous power, such
as comes with the debility Of age, then these
little organs not only fail to perform their
functions, but may fail to get even the nutri-
tion that is necessary to keep them in q
healthy condition, and they waste away
that is, they become atrophied.
This, in the indefinite knowledge we
get, may be supposed to be what has hap
peneu ia MI ~ Conoi Cuse. IoItunately,
digestion is not all done in the stomach, and
there is a range of nutritious substances that
may be got into the system at other points of
the digestive tract This, at least, gives time
for recovery; and if the atrophy of the folli-
cles depends upon any cause less permanent
than the loss of power due to age, if it is
only consequent upon some temporary de-
rangement of the spine due to fever or ma
laria, the trouble may pass away and the
stomach recover its normal condition. 1t is
announced that Mr.. O'Conor has expert
enced, within the last forty eight hours, an
appetite for animal food, and this is an indi-
cation, even if slight, that is hopeful on pre-
cisely the right point.