A practical treatise on the diseases of children. By J. Forsyth Meigs

Front matter

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Preface

The motives which led the author of this volume of the Medical Practitioner's and Student's Library, to undertake its preparation, were the hope that the details of his own experience might prove of some utility, and the belief that a work on the Diseases of Children, executed upon a somewhat different plan from those already before the profession, might not be an unacceptable addition to the medical literature of the country.

In the preparation of the work no pains have been spared to make it both methodical and accurate, and as complete as the limits of the series would allow. The classification of diseases according to the systems which they affect, has been adopted by the writer as the most convenient. The divisions of each article are those employed by the most eminent among recent systematic writers. In the composition of the work the author has availed himself, as fully as possible, of every authority of importance placed within his reach, always, however, endeavouring to judge what came under his notice, by the knowledge derived from his personal experience in private practice. In this way he hopes that he has been able to select from the labours of others, whatever is most important to be known in the present state of medical science, and to reject what seemed fallacious or useless. The work

PREFACE from which he has drawn most largely, is that of MM. Rilliet and Barthez, which was originally intended to have formed the basis of the present treatise. This plan was, however, abandoned very soon after the commencement of the work, from the impossibility, with proper justice to those writers, of introducing either the personal experience of the author, or a great amount of very useful material to be derived from other sources. He desires, however, distinctly to acknowledge his great indebtedness for valuable assistance obtained from their work, especially in regard to the symptomatology and morbid anatomy of several diseases brought under consideration.

In addition, the author has constantly consulted the works of Underwood, Dewees, Eberle, Stewart, Condie, Billard, Barrier, Berton, Bouchut, Brachet, and Valleix, on the diseases of children ; the portion of the Bibliotheque du Medecin Praticien, devoted to the same subjects ; Tweedie's Library of Practical Medicine, Copland's Medical Dictionary, the Guide du Medecin Praticien of M. Valleix, and the Dictionnaire de Medecine Pratique. Various treatises on the practice of medicine, and different articles in the medical journals, which it is here unnecessary to mention in detail, have also been consulted and quoted.

It is proper to remark in addition, that, in stating what he has himself observed, the author has endeavoured to do it with the greatest possible accuracy ; and whenever the subject has concerned facts susceptible of numerical demonstration, he has invariably, if he has had the means, employed that method of statement, in order that the reader might be enabled to draw his own conclusions. Whatever may be the advantages or disadvantages of the numerical method of observation in medicine, it seems to him that it must be of vastly greater service in giving accuracy and certainty to the recorded results of treatment, than the plan

PREFACE. XI

usually followed by the older writers, of merely stating their own generalizations (often no doubt loosely and carelessly drawn), instead of giving to the reader the facts upon which those generalizations were founded, and thus allowing him to judge for himself of their probable truth and correctness.

The author desires to state, in regard to the use of the first person singular throughout the work, that, in the words of Dr. G. B. Wood upon the same point, he " has been actuated by no spirit of egotism, but merely by a wish to express the fact, without affectation, in the shortest and simplest mode."

In conclusion, the writer is anxious to express his thanks to Dr. Alfred Stille, of this city, for much valuable advice in regard to the preparation of the work.

Philadelphia, June 21, 1848.

Table Of Contents

PAGE.

Preface - - - - - - vii

CLASS L

Chapter II. Diseases Of The Lungs And Pleura

Article I. — Pneumonia .... -74

II.— Bronchitis ---.._ 105

III.— Pleurisy - - - . . - 119

IV. — Hooping-cough, ..... 135

CLASS II.

DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS.

CHAPTER I.

DISEASES OF THE MOUTH.

Article I.— Simple or erythematous stomatitis . - 152

XIV CONTENTS.

Article II. — Aphthae - „ „ . . .154

III — Ulcerative or ulcero-membranovxs stomatitis - 158

IV. — Gangrene of the mouth - . . - 163

CHAPTER II.

DISEASES OF THE THROAT.

Article I — Simple or erythematous pharyngitis - „ - 197

II. — Pseudo-membranous pharyngitis - 204

Section I. Functional Diseases Of The Stomach And Intestines

Article I. — Indigestion ---__„ 218

II. — Simple diarrhoea - 232

Section II

DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND INTESTINES ATTENDED WITH APPRECIABLE ANATOMICAL LESIONS.

Article I. — Gastritis --.„„_ 244

II. — Entero-colitis » 254

III. — Cholera infantum - 288

GLASS III.

DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.

General remarks .-.«,., 390

COKTEK T S. XV

Chapter I

kSES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM ATTENDED WITH APPRECIABLE ANATOMICAL ALTERATIONS.

Article I. — Tubercular meningitis - 324

II. — Simple meningitis, - 352

III. — Acute hydrocephalus - 363

IV. — Cerebral congestion - - - - 368

V. — Cerebral hemorrhage ----- 373