The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-31
GEN. sHERIDAN's DISEASE.
About Cirrhosis OF the Liver and the
Chances for Curing II.

| From, the Ne,C York GRAPHIC.
The latest dispatches from Nonquitt,
where Gen. Sheridan lies sick, announce
that cirrhosis of the liver has set in. If the
statement be true, the balmy ocean zephyrs
which he is drinking in will need all their
health-giving qualities TO enable the brave
| soldier to fight successfully this new COM
plication in his disease. Speaking to a
prominent physician, be described the
malady as "a condition of the liver in which
| the connective tissue the tissue which binds
or holds together the liver cells is much in
| creased in amount, and which afterward I'M
| dergoes contraction. The result of this on the
size of the liver is that in thu first stages of
the disease the organ is much enlarget -,
and in the latter stages greetly contracted"
Is it curableg"
81 doubt whether a real case of cirrhosis
of the liver was ever cured. have known
of several instances of supposed cases which
did fully recoverY'
what are the symptoms by which you
recognize it"
well" said the doctor, 'there are so
many that | could scarcely give them to
| you without drowning YOU in medical and
| anatomical terms You can readily I'M
derstand, however, with even a small
amount of anatomical knowledge, that
| tIlo Gllldl SeIuelb Oh Uu6 liver substance IN
| terferes with what is called the portal cir
culation, and produces a catarrh of the
stomach, which manifestS itself in a condi-
ton of chronic indigestion. 1t so happens
that many cases of cirrhosis OF the liver are
for long time looked upon even by physi-
clans as cases of dyspepsia. Examination
| Of the liver by percussion and
pressure will at this stage show to
the competent physician that the
50 L.. -.
| traction comes on the liver diminIshes per-
| ceptibly i'll size and the pressure on the
liver cells destroys them. During this stage
we are apt to have long-continued attacks
| OF Jaundlce, but this symptom Is by no
means certain TO show itself You know
| the blood from the stomach and intestines
passes through the liver by the portal
| system on its way to the heart and lungs to
| be purified. 1t can readily be seen that if
| it be damned back by the contracted liver
| 1t will cause great congestion of the intestl-
nal canal, and this is often shown in the
patients by hemorrhoids and by attacks of
vomiting of blood The same interference
with the circulation is what in the latter
stages brings on dropsy. This Is usually
| first observed in the abdomen, and is known
| by physicians as ascltes"
doctor, haven't you any simpler name
| for the disease"
les, Jne SeaSe is known 10 the In
glish as hobnailed liver, or gin drinkers
liver
"Do you mean by that that it is a disease
Of drunkarcls!"
by no means. 1t is disease which is
| rarely seen except in adults, and chiefly
| among men, but not necessarily among
drunkards. While the main factor in pro-
ducing it is the use of alcoholic drinks, it
does not follow that Its subjects are drunk
ards In fact the men in whom l have en-
countered it were not drunkards, but men
who, while constant and daily drinkers,
be excessive drinking to one person might
be nothing more than moderate indulgence
in another 1t eau bs safely stated, how
ever, that we're the drinking of alcoholic
beverages entirely stopped we physicians
would not meet with one case of cirrhosis of
the liver where now we meet with scores"