A Text-Book of Practical Medicine, with Particular Reference to Physiology and Pathological Anatomy Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ... SECTION IV. DISEASES OF THE STOMACH. CHAPTER I. ACUTE CATARRHAL INFLAMMATION OF THE MUCOUS MEMHRANE OF THE STOMACH--ACUTE GASTRIC CATARRH. Etiology.--During normal digestion changes occur in the gastric mucous membrane, which, if found in other mucous membranes, would be called catarrh. The secretion of the gastric juice is always accompanied by considerable hyperaemia of the mucous membrane, which is regularly followed by an abundant flow of mucus, and a considerable detachment of epithelium. This physiological process, like the analogous pathological one, is accompanied by a slight general disturbance, the so-called digestive fever. Hence, the definition, that we have given for catarrh of mucous membranes generally, does not answer for gastrio catarrh; what in them is pathological is here normal, and we can only speak of gastric catarrh when the physiological process increases beyond normal bounds. It will be readily understood that, as the act of digestion is repeated several times during the day, and our food is complicated and sometimes of improper character, the process may readily become abnormal; hence, as may easily be conceived, acute gastric catarrh is one of the most frequent of diseases. On the other hand, it is just as evident that a morbid augmentation of normal processes may subside more readily and quickly than other more material deviations from the normal state. Hence, under favorable circumstances, gastric catarrh usually lasts a shorter time than that of other mucous membranes. The predisposition to this affection varies with the individual; in some persons it is induced by exciting causes, which would have no effect on others. In many cases increased predisposition to gastric catarrh depends on too scanty a...