Medical sources of help?

[paddyscar]

I'm not having much luck in tracking down previous posts which suggested places to look for old medical terminology. I thought there was a source in the Sources tab, but if it's there, my mind isn't connecting with it

I checked the 1911 Online Encyclopedia from someone's post, but no luck there.

The cause of death in 1883 is listed as: Hysteria. Cerebral congestion.

This was for a messenger girl aged 14 years.

Anyone have any ideas of what this may have been, or have been caused by? Or are there any other suggestions where I might look?

Thanks,

Frances

[Anne H]

Hi Frances,

I couldn't find it in the medical dictionaries but a Google brought up the following:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... t=Abstract

Cerebral congestion. A vanished disease.

Roman GC.

The concept of "cerebral congestion" as a cause of apoplexy was first proposed by Morgagni in 1761, and had a profound influence in the treatment of stroke during the next 150 years. It accounted not only for cerebral hemorrhage, but also for lacunae (Dechambre, 1838), etat crible (Durand-Fardel, 1842), depression, maniac outbursts, headaches, coma, and seizures. According to Hammond (1871, 1878), cerebral congestion was "more common...than any other affection of the nervous system." This notion fell into oblivion when an accurate method for bedside determination of blood pressure became available (Riva-Rocci, 1896; Korotkov, 1905) allowing for better understanding of the neurologic complications of arterial hypertension.

Regards,
AnneH

[Alcluith]

The website you are looking for is

http://www.paul_smith.doctors.org.uk/ArchaicMedicalTerms.htm

may be useful for future research

[Russell]

Hi Frances

Death, in a 14 year old girl or boy, where they called it 'cerebral congestion' was most likely to have been caused by a cerebral aneurysm. That is rupture of a tiny blood vessel within the blood supply to the brain. The leak damages the brain, causes 'congestion' within the skull but is different from a stroke where only one side is affected.
Happens sometimes in pregnancy or strenuous sporting activity where the blood pressure is raised dramatically. A weak blood vessel whose existence is not suspected tears open and continues to leak.

We have only been able to recognize and deal with it over the last 40-50 years. Previously what went on within the skull was virtually unknown.

Hope this helps your understanding

Russell

[joette]

The "Hysteria" suggests to me that as Russell says it was most likely a Cerebral Anuerysm.
She was probably confused,possibly shouting & appearing as "drunk"/and or hysterical.
Whenever presented with a patient like this I would always have suspected a brain injury of some type.As I worked in Paediatrics I would not have suspected "Drugs/Alcohol as those presented with an adult patient might.Oh for those innocent days.

[paddyscar]

Thanks to all, for your clear and helpful answers.

Sincerely,

Frances