pthisical habit?

[Shannon M]

Can someone explain what this rubric means? I suppose it has to do
with tubercular constitution, but in what way?
Thanks,
Shannon

[Lynn Cremona]

phthisis
1. A disease characterized by the wasting away or atrophy of the body
or a part of the body.
2. Tuberculosis of the lungs. No longer in scientific use.

Of a phthisical habit
Having phthisis, or some symptom of it, as difficulty in breathing

# Literally, means a wasting disease but almost invariably will mean
pulmonary tuberculosis
# Any debilitating lung or throat affections; a severe cough; asthma

Lynn
--------------------

At 10:23 PM 3/31/2006, you wrote:
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[Robyn]

Subject: [Minutus] pthisical habit?
Can someone explain what this rubric means? I suppose it has to do
with tubercular constitution, but in what way?
Thanks,
Shannon

There are various 'habits' found in our repertories ---- dry, spare, sedentary, relaxed
phlegmatic, but phthiscal and strumous are often referred to in the pages of the older medical
books. Maybe the term we use now would be 'diathesis' --- just a thought
Found this definition of phthisical habit in an old dictionary
P hthisical
1. Pertaining to or affected with phthisis or tuberculosis.
2 . Popularly, same as Asthmatic

Phthisical Frame, Phthisical Habit ---- a long, narrow, flat chest, with depressed sternum, acute
costal angle, a fair, transparent skin, light complexion, blue eyes, winged scapulae, slender limbs.
As to internal organs, the heart is relatively small, the arteries narrow, the pulmonary artery
relatively wider than the aorta, and the lung-volume rather large.
Here is a section of a chapter from a book by ARETAUS, THE CAPPADOCIAN from the Hippocrates
collection, that mentions this 'phthisical habit' -- the accompanying text may explain it

from a section discussing persons affected with Empyema (A collection of pus in a body cavity -
especially in the lung cavity)

" There are certain symptoms common to all, and certain ones peculiar to each. A heaviness rather
than pain is a common symptom (for the lungs are insensible), weak fevers, rigor towards evening,
sweats in the remission, insomnolency, swellings in the extremities of the feet, and fingers of the
hands, which at one time abate and at another increase; uncomfortable feeling; loss of appetite;
wasting of the whole body; and if the change be prolonged, the phthisical habit is formed; for
Nature can no longer perform her office, for the digestion is not as before, nor is there the plump
habit of body; the colour dark; respiration in all cases bad, but worse in those affecting the upper
cavity; but also cough at first as long as the inflammation is urgent, when the pains also are
greater, and rigor, and heat, and watchfulness, and dyspnoa still more; pulse small, sluggish,
feeble; they are disordered in the intellect; distension of the thorax. "

A strumous habit seems to mean a strumous diathesis ---constitutional predisposition to struma,
scrofula.
'The strumous diathesis is very common, manifesting itself in glandular enlargements, abscesses,
or sores, and in ophthalmia, otorrhoea, and skin eruptions.'

and from a Herbal reference with regard to scrofula - The Complete Herbalist -- Dr. O P. Brown
(1878):

"There is scarcely any tissue or organ in the body that scrofula does not assail, and it forms the
basis, in many cases of disease, of all their virulence and stubbornness. Strumous habits are very
common, being mostly hereditary; but they may also be contracted by bad habits, or be the sequel to
low vitality or prostrating diseases. The taint is apt to become universal if in marriage the
health of either party is not considered of equal importance with affection, etc., etc. It impairs
the functions of all the organs; it renders the mental faculties more or less imbecile; it gives to
the patient a heavy, sullen, and forbidding appearance, and is destructive of all beauty of form or
sprightliness of character. It is so serious a disease that no one affected with the taint, however
slight it may be, should defer such rational treatment as will cure him of one of the grestest
enemies of mankind. "

As usual I enjoyed this search for information, as came across an amazing collection of
Hippocrates translated.
Thankyou for the opportunity
Best

Robyn

It is not enough to say that we attract what we think;
we become what we think,
and what we become we will attract. ~Ernest S. Holmes
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[Shannon Nelson]

Wonderful, thanks Lynn!
Shannon
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[Shannon Nelson]

Robyn,
Thanks, what a wonderful romp! I'd misremembered what "scrofulous"
meant, so this was doubly enlightening to me!

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[J.VENKATASUBRAMANIAN]

Dear Shannon,Lynn,
This is just as Boenninghaussen expressed in his repertory
about 'full
habits' (plethora ?), 'spare habits' etc. I also read Lynn's post. It
is not
just a description of a disease but IMO about what the person 'does'
when
diseased- in a particular way (as the word 'habit' means). For
example the
tubercular person (even when not having an active state of TB) may do
the
following
1. LIke cold milk
2. Desire open air
3. Shun strenuous activity
4. Dread the night
5. Delicate movements of limbs
6. Quick perception & movement (may be in childhhood)

The above belong to the ' habit '( Note that these are all
constitutional
Sx). Some others like waking up in the night drenched with
perspiration
mostly on the torso,a constant harassing cough, dry during the day,
productive during the night and early morning, blood
spitting,epistaxis,aphthae, Swollen glands,laboured breathing,
wasting etc
which belong to the disease and IMO do not form the habit. But, it is
my
opinion as the terminology is old and the men who coined are no longer
alive. The list may have other better opinions.
Regards
Venkat

This post was in send queue but couldn't just get thru in my outlook
express. But this afternoon I saw Robyn's post which is wonderful.
But I continued to send since mine also be useful in the 'habit'
aspect
Rgds

Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 21:23:33 -0600
From: Shannon
Subject: pthisical habit?

Can someone explain what this rubric means? I suppose it has to do
with tubercular constitution, but in what way?
Thanks,
Shannon

[Shannon Nelson]

Thanks Venkat,
That does put an added slant on the matter, and makes sense to me! So
similar to "tubercular constitution", but maybe emphasis more on "what
happens", and maybe less on things such as build and heredity?
Shannon
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[Shannon Nelson]

Robyn, thanks so much!
Shannon
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