A Treatise on Tuberculosis; The Constitutional Origin of Consumption and Scrofula (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852 Excerpt: ...transmitted hereditarily from the parent, the development of the disease requires the agency of external causes, yet in many cases, the action of the slightest cause in such a predisposition will give rise to the disease; and it too frequently occurs that, notwithstanding the absence of such causes, nothing will prevent the development of the disease. It is an error, therefore, to affirm that the hereditary tendency is a mere pathological susceptibility to an ultimate and indeterminate disease--although the disease is not transmitted in its active state, the germ or principle of the disease, whatever that may be--is transmitted hereditarily. 15. M. Briquet, from the history of 95 cases, arrived at the conclusion that hereditary tuberculosis developes itself in the form of phthisis at an earlier period of life than the disease does when acquired. In 39 of the cases with the history of hereditary transmission, 26 became phthisical before 30 years of age, while of 56 cases born of perfectly healthy parents 31 did not become phthisical until after 30 (1. c., p. 179); and it has been laid down by Fournet, that where the disease is hereditary it is in general chronic and characterized by large tubercles, but it would appear that one exception at least to this rule is furnished by young infants, in whom hereditary tuberculosis is occasionally acute and very rapid. 16. Tuberculous blood may be diseased to such an extent and its tuberculous state may be so uninterruptedly sustained, that it may transmit the predisposition or the disease hereditarily to two or several generations, it may then become more healthy and one or two generations may escape, after which it may acquire a new intensity, but in the latter case the renewed operation of the causes of acquired tub...