A Full View of All the Diseases Incident to Children

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. 1742. Excerpt: ... VIII. G L I S S O N upon the Rickets. THis Disease made its sirst Appearance about thirty Years ago, in the West of England viz. in the Counties of Dor/et and Somerset. After that, it spread gradually to London, Canterbury, and Oxford, and almost all the Southern and Western Parts of the Kingdom; but in the Northern Counties it very rarely appears, and is hardly well known, even at this Day. Before we enter upon the Causes of this Disease, it will not be amiss to take Notice of some Phenomena, which are observable in the the Bodies of such as have died of it. The most remarkable of these are the following, viz. The Head is larger than ordinary, and the Face fuller in respect of the other Parts of the Body. The Limbs and Muscles are very flender, and emaciated, as if the Patient had died of an Atrophy or Consumption. The Our Author published the sirst Edition of his Book in the Year 1650, which reduces the Æra of this Disease iaEnglandfia the Yet i6zo, or thereabouts. The Skin with the Membrana Adipofa, is quite flaccid, and as it were detached from the Parts they cover. About the Joints, especially in the Wrists and An' cles, there may be observed certain bony Protuberances, which have their Seat chiefly in the Epiphyses of the Bones. The Breast is flit, and very narrow, especially under the Arm-Pits, and as it were compressed on the Sides; while the Sternum rises a little prominent, like the Breast of a Fowl, or the Keel of a Ship. The Extremities of the Ribs, where they are arti. culated with the Cr.rtilages of the Sternum,are knotty, as we observed of the Wrists and Ancles. The Abdomen, with respect to the containing Parts, is thin, but as to its Contents, prominent, and somewhat tumid. The Joints and whole Body are not near so rigid as those of...