A text-book of the practice of medicine for the use of students and practitioners

by Richard Channing Moore Page

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. 1896 ... of the stomach tube, or through a gastric fistula. Enemata are also valuable for prolonging life, but only for a limited time. Stenosis Of The (esophagus. Stenosis of the oesophagus may be due to pressure from without, as from aortic aneurism, or to fibrous polypi within. Not infrequently it is caused by accidental swallowing of caustic alkali among children. This accident is not uncommon among negro children in the South. Syphilis and lodgement of foreign bodies, as well as cancer, also give rise to it. Dilatation above the point of stricture and diverticula, as already mentioned, are commonly found. Difficult deglutition and regurgitation of food, with foul breath and gradual emaciation, are the chief symptoms. Death results Irom exhaustion due to inanition or else rupture may occur into the pericardium and the like, as already observed. The treatment is purely mechanical. In some cases a cure may be effected, in many there is improvement, but generally the patient dies from inanition or some intercurrent disease. CEsophagotomy and gastrotomy for the relief of this condition belong to the domain of surgery. Cakcer Of The (esophagus. Cancer is one of the most frequent diseases of the oesophagus. The etiology is unknown, as it is with cancer elsewhere. It is usually of the epithelial variety. It affects men more frequently than women, and commonly between forty and sixty years of age. It is generally primary, but may be secondary to cancer of the stomach or other parts. It affects the lower and middle thirds of the oesophagus more frequently than the upper part. The symptoms are chiefly those of difficulty in swallowing, and sometimes food is regurgitated. Cancer of the stomach, with epigastric tumor, is sometimes present. Gradual emaciation from inanition...

236 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2012