The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-08-14
GENERAL GRANTS DISEASE.


Extraets Prom IN Article by Dr. shrady On
the Surgical and Pathological Aspects az
the Case-A brsef Review of the Treat
menG
New York, July sl.--Thc subjolned
are extracts FROM an article by DIR.
Shrady on the surgical aud Pathological
Aspects Of General GraH's Case" which
will appear Ia the Medical Record Of me 1t
Saturday. The treatment will be- more
deliberately described hereafter. DIR.
Shrady says;
ssIt II not definitely known when the
throat trouble commenced, but prohabiy
In June. 1854. as at that time General
Grant nrst complained OF soreness In the
tonsillar regions-
''On March 7th, when frst saw the pa
tient, In consultation with Drs. Barker,
Douglas and Sands. II was found that
the surfaces Of the right tonsillar region,
and adjoining portion Of the vault Of the
pharynx we're covered with q thick yell
iowish oxidation resembling sloughIng
tissue. This deposit was evidently the
result Of an acute procuso engraftcd
upon the Origin disease and partook OF
many Of the characters Of dlphthe.
retic membrane. This Views Of the
complication explains many OF IN G grave
symptoms which were subsequently, as.
ISOLATED with the great prostration, but
which were not directly trace ablc 70 the
progress Of the epltheliomatous degen-
Grafton. The progress OF the local dis
ease was steady one from the begin
ming. The loss Of the palate and ada
cent soft parts, with the consequent lack
OF perfect control Of the tongue
occasioned great difficulty In
swallowing. Just before he
WIS transferred TO Mt. McGregor, be
rather suddenly lost his voice never to
regain IL. This was due partly 10 thick.
ening Of the vital chords BY infiammatory
inftrstion. land partly to . relaxation
of the parts from general weakness A
brief summary Of the treatment Is all
that IL will be necessary TO give
TO eliminate every possible chance
OF error Ia the diagnosis, the
patient was placed under specific treat
ment, although IN. clinical history OF the
case gave only negative Indications Of Its
necessity This treatment, although con-
tinued for sufficient period. produced
no effect In healing the ulcerAtiOns or Ia
arrcstlng the progress Of the disease.
lodolorm was used as a local application
10 the ulcers, a. well ~ sargles composed
Of salt and water, diluted car0olic acid
and solutions Of pcrmanganIte OF potash
and yeast four per cent. solution Of
cocaine was occasionally applied 10 pain
full parts with happy results, but IL WAS
never employed % any such excess rs Y
j. generally thought by the pubic, nor
Were there any bad effects manifested
from its administration. The latter were
carefully guarded against with the full
knowledge that the drug was new
one aud that only it, cautious use was
admissible. Red clover was given quite
constantly, but produced no effect wnat-
ever upon the local disease. Il only
proved itself useful 40 q laxative. and
was 50 employed as being the least harm
ful OF medicines Of its sort Tor con-
tinuou~ administration.
.s1hc diagnosis given early ia the case
was proved TO b. correct by the micro
scope, BY the clinical history Of the pm
tieN, aud by the fat tissue. The dis
ease had much shorter course than rs
ual. owing 20 the prostration OF the pa
tieDfs system, dependent, Ia great
measure, npon other causes
s.The cause Of the disease iu this case
Is largely conjvctlral. Erethiloina. as a
RUE, starts from local circulation,
and unlike other forms OF cancer Il
not dependent upon hereditary prsdis-
position To the disease. There must,
however. aside from this. b. a latent
tendency toward cancerous troubles
watch u more pronounced In some nd
viduals than in Others, otherwise
we should Dr unable TO explain why
simple aud continued circulation would
induce the disease Ia one case and not IN
anoshrr. II l.. however, quite PROBABLE
tnaf excessive smoking was the nc
tive cause Of the cancer ~ General
Grants case, or ~ lsa~t II H. fair 20 pre-
sumo he would not have had tn disease
II his habit hal not been carried 70 ex-
cess. This assnmption Is made IN face OF
he fact that OF Tire thousands who smoke
but very small rroaortion suffer from
the disease. Although there was more
or less constan pain OF . gnawlng
the patient was happily spared
that agony Of suffering which Is often
associated with the invasion " the deep
ct parts Of the TIM n ~ caucrrous dis |
case. Had the latter occurred. II |
was proposed u divide the
sensitive nerve ~ The tongue
sgust tory through the mouth |
which operation oiientsnes riyes abso-
lutte relief Such pain as existed. how
ever, was KEEP, under control by cocaine |
and morphine. 80 that the last wish OF |
the patient that his death should ~ q
peaceful one was fully realized"
-
STORM-BEATEN.