Cerebro-spinal fever

Cerebro-spinal Fever is a specific infectious disease. • The causative organism is the Diplococcus Intracellularis of Tiech.salbaum, con :only known as the Meningococcus. • This organism. is carried .in the throats of apparently health- persons, who are known as "Carriers." • An epidemic of Cerebro-spinal Fever is really an epidemic of meningococcal "carriers ", with sporadic cases of the disease. • The original site of the organism? in the body is the posterior nasopharynx. From this local seat of infection the meningococcus spreads, via the blood stream, to the leptomeninges of the brain and cord. • Infection of the meninges may not necessarily result from infection by the meningococcus. In about 2 of cases the initial septicaemia is so severe that the patient succumbs before the lesions of the meninges have time to develop. In these, the characteristic lesion is found to consist in haemorrhagicinflammation of the adrenal glands, associated with purpura. To combat the great fall in blood pressure which results, intravenous or intramuscular injection of adrenaline is useful, in order to restore the tone of the peripheral circulation. • The signs and symptoms of Cerebra-spinal Fever are due to the combination of several factors, which are all present to a varying degree in every case of the disease. 1. The general toxaemia, which is common to all infectious diseases 2. The lesions of the Central Nervous System, and its covering membranes. 3. The presence of certain products of degeneration of the myelin of the nerve fibres, namely cholin and neurin. • All these factors are present in any one case, the varying pictures produced. depending on which. predominates. • Cases of Cerebro-spinal Fever may be classified into the following types : - 1. Fulminating Type. 2. Ordinary Acute Type. 3. Suppurative Type. 4. Abortive Cases. 5. Mild Cases. 6. Posterior Basic Meningitis. • These types can. be distinguished. both Clinically and Pathologically. • Death may be due to either the severity of the infection or to the establishment of Internal Hydrocephalus. • Treatment with specific antisera holds out more hope of success than any other line of treatment. • Since the institution of this means of treatment, the mortality rate of Cerebro-spinal Fever has fallen from 70%-90% to 30%-40%. The proportion of patients who suffer from permanent and disabling complications has been reduced by an even more remarkable extent.

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Edinburgh

Year dc:date.issued

1917

Author dc:creator

• MacLagan, P. W.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1842/35070

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:era.ed.ac.uk:1842/35070