anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第134部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Snow…blindness　occurs　from　prolonged　exposure　of　the　eyes　to　snow　upon　which　the　sun　is　shining。　Some　years　ago；　some　seventy　laborers；　who　were　clearing　away　snow…drifts　in　the　Caucasus；　were　seized；　and　thirty　of　them　could　not　find　their　way　home；　so　great　was　the　photophobia；　conjunctivitis；　and　lacrimation。　Graddy　reports　six　cases；　and　many　others　are　constantly　occurring。

Other　forms　of　retinal　injury　from　too　great　or　too　prolonged　exposure　to　light　are　〃moon…blindness；〃　due　to　sleeping　with　the　eyes　exposed　to　bright　moonlight；　and　that　due　to　lightninga　case；　e。g。；　being　reported　by　Knies。　Silex　also　reports　such　a　case　and　reviews　the　reported　cases；　25　in　number；　in　ten　of　which　cataract　ensued。　In　the　Annual　of　the　Universal　Medical　Sciences；　1888；　there　is　a　report　of　seven　cases　of　retinal　injury　with　central　scotoma；　amblyopia；　etc。；　in　Japanese　medical　students；　caused　by　observation　of　the　sun　in　eclipse。

In　discussing　the　question　of　electric…light　injuries　of　the　eyes　Gould　reviews　the　literature　of　the　subject　and　epitomizes　the　cases　reported　up　to　that　time。　They　numbered　23。　No　patient　was　seriously　or　permanently　injured；　and　none　was　in　a　person　who　used　the　electric　light　in　a　proper　manner　as　an　illuminant。　All　were　in　scientific　investigators　or　workmen　about　the　light；　who　approached　it　too　closely　or　gazed　at　it　too　long　and　without　the　colored　protecting　spectacles　now　found　necessary　by　such　workers。

Injuries　to　the　Ear。The　folly　of　the　practice　of　boxing　children's　ears；　and　the　possible　disastrous　results　subsequent　to　this　punishment；　are　well　exemplified　throughout　medical　literature。　Stewart　quotes　four　cases　of　rupture　of　the　tympanum　from　boxing　the　ears；　and　there　is　an　instance　of　a　boy　of　eight；　who　was　boxed　on　the　ear　at　school；　in　whom　subsequent　brain…disease　developed　early；　and　death　followed。　Roosa　of　New　York　mentions　the　loss　of　hearing　following　a　kiss　on　the　ear。　

Dalby；　in　a　paper　citing　many　different　causes　of　rupture　of　the　tympanic　membrane；　mentions　the　following：　A　blow　in　sparring；　violent　sneezing；　blowing　the　nose；　forcible　dilatation　of　the　Eustachian　canal；　a　thorn　or　twig　of　a　tree　accidentally　thrust　into　the　head；　picking　the　ear　with　a　toothpick。　In　time　of　battle　soldiers　sometimes　have　their　tympanums　ruptured　by　the　concussion　caused　by　the　firing　of　cannon。　Dalby　mentions　an　instance　of　an　officer　who　was　discharged　for　deafness　acquired　in　this　manner　during　the　Crimean　War。　He　was　standing　beside　a　mortar　which；　unexpectedly　to　him；　was　fired；　causing　rupture　of　the　tympanic　membrane；　followed　by　hemorrhage　from　the　ear。　Similar　cases　were　reported　in　the　recent　naval　engagements　between　the　Chinese　and　Japanese。　Wilson　reports　two　cases　of　rupture　of　the　membrane　tympani　caused　by　diving。　Roosa　divides　the　causes　into　traumatic；　hemorrhagic；　and　inflammatory；　and　primary　lesions　of　the　labyrinth；　exemplifying　each　by　numerous　instances。　Under　traumatic　causes　he　mentions　severe　falls；　blows　about　the　head　or　face；　constant　listening　to　a　telegraphic　instrument；　cannonading；　and　finally　eight　cases　of　boiler…makers'　deafness。　Roosa　cites　a　curious　case　of　sudden　and　profound　deafness　in　a　young　man　in　perfect　health；　while　calling　upon　the　parents　of　his　lady…love　to　ask　her　hand　in　marriage。　Strange　to　say　that　after　he　had　had　a　favorable　reply　he　gradually　recovered　his　hearing！　In　the　same　paper　there　is　an　instance　of　a　case　of　deafness　due　to　the　sudden　cessation　of　perspiration；　and　an　instance　of　tinnitus　due　to　the　excessive　use　of　tobacco；　Roosa　also　mentions　a　case　of　deafness　due　to　excessive　mental　employment。

Perforation　of　the　Tympanum。Kealy　relates　an　instance　in　which　a　pin　was　introduced　into　the　left　ear　to　relieve　an　intolerable　itching。　It　perforated　the　tympanum；　and　before　the　expiration　of　twenty…four　hours　was　coughed　up　from　the　throat　with　a　small　quantity　of　blood。　The　pin　was　bent　at　an　angle　of　about　120　degrees。　Another　similar　case　was　that　of　a　girl　of　twenty…two　who；　while　pricking　her　ear　with　a　hair…pin；　was　jerked　or　struck　on　the　arm　by　a　child；　and　the　pin　forced　into　the　ear；　great　pain　and　deafness　followed；　together　with　the　loss　of　taste　on　the　same　side　of　the　tongue；　after　treatment　both　of　the　disturbed　senses　were　restored。　A　man　of　twenty　was　pricked　in　the　ear　by　a　needle　entering　the　meatus。　He　uttered　a　cry；　fell　senseless；　and　so　continued　until　the　fourth　day　when　he　died。　The　whole　auditory　meatus　was　destroyed　by　suppuration。　Gamgee　tells　of　a　constable　who　was　stabbed　in　the　left　ear；　severing　the　middle　meningeal　artery；　death　ensuing。　In　this　instance；　after　digital　compression；　ligature　of　the　common　carotid　was　practiced　as　a　last　resort。　There　is　an　account　of　a　provision…dealer's　agent　who　fell　asleep　at　a　public　house　at　Tottenham。　In　sport　an　attendant　tickled　his　ear　with　a　wooden　article　used　as　a　pipe　light。　A　quick；　unconscious　movement　forced　the　wooden　point　through　the　tympanum；　causing　cerebral　inflammation　and　subsequent　death。　There　is　a　record　of　death；　in　a　child　of　nine；　caused　by　the　passage　of　a　knitting…needle　into　the　auditory　meatus。

Kauffmann　reports　a　case　of　what　he　calls　objective　tinnitus　aurium；　in　which　the　noise　originating　in　the　patient's　ears　was　distinctly　audible　by　others。　The　patient　was　a　boy　of　fourteen；　who　had　fallen　on　the　back　of　his　head　and　had　remained　unconscious　for　nearly　two　weeks。　The　noises　were　bilateral；　but　more　distinct　on　the　left　than　on　the　right　side。　The　sounds　were　described　as　crackling；　and　seemed　to　depend　on　movements　of　the　arch　of　the　palate。　Kauffmann　expresses　the　opinion　that　the　noises　were　due　to　clonic　spasm　of　the　tensor　velum　palati；　and　states　that　under　appropriate　treatment　the　tinnitus　gradually　subsided。

The　introduction　of　foreign　bodies　in　the　ear　is　usually　accidental；　although　in　children　we　often　find　it　as　a　result　of　sport　or　curiosity。　There　is　an　instance　on　record　of　a　man　who　was　accustomed　to　catch　flies　and　put　them　in　his　ear；　deriving　from　them　a　pleasurable　sensation　from　the　tickling　which　ensued。　There　have　been　cases　in　which　children；　and　even　adults；　have　held　grasshoppers；　crickets；　or　lady…birds　to　their　ears　in　order　to　more　attentively　listen　to　the　noise；　and　while　in　this　position　the　insects　have　escaped　and　penetrated　the　auditory　canal。　Insects　often　enter　the　ears　of　persons　reposing　in　the　fields　with　the　ear　to　the　ground。　Fabricius　Hildanus　speaks　of　a　cricket　penetrating　the　ear　during　sleep。　Calhoun　mentions　an　instance　of　disease　of　the　ear　which　he　found　was　due　to　the　presence　of　several　living　maggots　in　the　interior　of　the　ear。　The　patient　had　been　sleeping　in　a　horse　stall　in　which　were　found　maggots　similar　to　those　extracted　from　his　ear。　An　analogous　instance　was　seen　in　a　negro　in　the　Emergency　Hospital；　Washington；　D。C。；　in　the　summer　of　1894；　and　many　others　are　recorded。　The　insects　are　frequently　removed　only　after　a　prolonged　lodgment。

D'Aguanno　gives　an　account　of　two　instances　of　living　larvae　of　the　musca　sarcophaga　in　the　ears　of　children。　In　one　of　the　cases　the　larvae　entered　the　drum…cavity　through　a　rupture　in　the　tympanic　membrane。　In　both　cases　the　maggots　were　removed　by　forceps。　Haug　has　observed　a　tic　（ixodes　ricinus）　in　the　ear　of　a　lad　of　seventeen。　The　creature　was　killed　by　a　mercuric…chlorid　solution；　and　removed　with　a　probe。

There　is　a　common　superstition　that　centipedes　have　the　faculty　of　entering　the　ear　and　penetrating　the　brain；　causing　death。　The　authors　have　knowledge　of　an　instance　in　which　three　small　centipedes　were　taken　from　the　ear　of　a　policeman　after　remaining　there　three　days；　during　this　time　they　caused　excruciating　pain；　but　there　was　no　permanent　injury。　The　Ephemerides　contains　instances　in　which；　while　yet　living；　worms；　crickets；　ants；　and　beetles　have　all　been　taken　from　the　ear。　In　one　case　the　entrance　of　a　cricket　in　the　auditory　canal　was　the　cause　of　death。　Martin　gives　an　instance　in　which　larvae　were　deposited　in　the　ear。　Stalpart　van　der　Wiel　relates　an　instance　of　the　lodgment　of　a　living　spider　in　the　ear。

Far　more　common　than　insects　are　inanimate　objects　as　foreign　bodies　in　the　ear；　and　numerous　examples　are　to　be　found　in　literature。　Fabricius　Hildanus　tells　of　a　glass　ball　introduced　into　the　auditory　canal　of　a　girl　of　ten；　followed　by　headache；　numbness　on　the　left　side；　and　after　four　or　five　years　epileptic　seizures；　and　atrophy　of　the　arm。　He　extracted　it　and　the　symptoms　immediately　ceased。　Sabatier　speaks　of　an　abscess　of　the　brain　caused　by　a　ball　of　paper　in　the　ear；　and　it　is　quite　common　for　persons　in　the　habit　of　using　a　tampon　of　cotton　in　the　meatus　to　mistake　the　deep　entrance　of　this　substance　for　functional　derangement；　and　many　cases　of　temporary　deafness　are　simply　due　to　forgetfulness　of　the　cause。　A　strange　case　is　reported　in　a　girl　of　fourteen；　who　lost　her　tympanum　from　a　profuse　otorrhea；　and　who　substituted　an　artificial　tympanum　which　was；　in　its　turn；　lost　by　deep　penetration；　causing　augmentation　of　the　symptoms；　of　the　cause　of　which　the　patient　herself　seemed　unaware。　Sometimes　artificial　otoliths　are　produced　by　the　insufflation　of　various　powders　which　become　agglutinated；　and　are　veritable　foreign　bodies。　Holman　tells　of　a　negro；　aged　thirty…five。　whose　wife　poured　molten　pewter　in　his　ear　while　asleep。　It　was　removed；　but　total　deafness　was　the　result。

Alley　mentions　a　New　Orleans　wharf　laborer；　in　whose　ear　was　poured　some　molten　lead；　seventeen　months　afterward　the　lead　was　still　occupying　the　external　auditory　meatus。　It　is　quite　remarkable　that　the　lead　should　have　remained　such　a　length　of　time　without　causing　meningeal　inflammation。　There　was　deafness　and　palsy　of　that　side　of　the　face。　A　fungous　growth　occupied　the　external　portion　of　the　ear；　the　man　suffered　pain　and　discharge　from　the　ear；　and　had　also　great　difficulty　in　closing　his　right　eyelid。　Morrison　mentions　an　alcoholic　patient　of　forty　who；　on　June　6；　1833；　had　nitric　acid　poured　in　her　right　ear。　There　were　no　headache；　febrile　symptoms；　stupor；　or　vertigo。　Debility　alone　was　present。　Two　weeks　after　the　injury　paralysis　began　on　the　right　side；　and　six　weeks　from　the　injury　the　pat