MORTIFICATION

From Agepedia

MORTIFICATION, in medicine, is the death of a part of the body while the rest continues alive, and often in a sound state. If the part be a vital organ, as the lungs, its death must necessarily be followed by that of the whole person. Mortification is called gangrene, and sphacelus, when occurring in soft or fleshy parts, as in the stomach or the limbs; and caries when in a bone, as in the spine, in the skull, &c. It is caused by violent inflammation, by exposure to freezing cold, by hospital fevers, by languid, or impeded, or stopped circulation, as in cases of bedridden or palsied persons, and by improper food, particularly the spurred or mildewed grain. It may be recognised, when preceded by inflammation, by the following signs: subsidence of pain, heat and redness, and loss of sensibility; brown lividity, blistered skin, with bloody serum in the vesicles, offensive odor occurring in the part, and by a small, rapid, intermitting pulse; by shiverings followed with cold sweat, diarrhoea, delirium, hickup, dejection of spirits, and by a wild, cadaverous countenance. When a part having been frozen is suddenly exposed to heat, mortification rapidly ensues; the part becomes florid; inflammation is unsuccessfully attempted, and sphacelus is the result. In the above species a distinctly marked line divides the dead and living portions; often a healthy separation ensues. Mortification is common in the fevers, wounds and injuries of the crowded jails and military hospitals of Europe. This gangrene is considered contagious by some surgeons, the nurses and orderlies suffering from ulcers and sloughs on the hands, when touched with the sponges used in cleansing the sick. The same effect is produced on the sound portions of the skin of the sick. This hospital gangrene is distinguished by its rapid spread to contiguous parts, as from fingers to arms, by the oozing of grumous blood, by horrible fetor, by fatal depression of spirits, and by the sullen despair of patients who, on the day of battle or of amputation, were the bravest of the brave. Sometimes the cutting a nail to the quick, or a slight bruise, will induce gangrene in old or debilitated persons. Mildew mortification differs from othei kinds in appearance and process, begin ning with coldness and numbness in fingers or toes, without fever, but with spasms, and hebetude of mind ; it separates arms, legs or thighs, and nose. It is more often found in the voluptuous rich than in the laboring poor, in huge feeders than in free drinkers. It is thought to be connected with a diseased state of the digestive organs, and great nervous debility. Sir. Pott sometimes checked it by opium in a few days, and, after the dropping off* of the affected parts, the patients recovered health. There is a dry gangrene to which palsied persons, as well as others, are liable, which slowly destroys the limb? and commonly without inflammation or putrefaction. This is sometimes explained by the absence of warmth, and moisture, and air, which are removed by preceding atrophythe color livid, though sometimes nearly natural. When the bones of the leg mortify, or become carious, new osseous matter is provided, in sound con stations. This process, occupying years when left to nature, is much accelerated by the artificial removal of the dead bone.