H E A
H E A
HEAD (Cytl) — The difeafes ofthcHeadzre often mifhken, even by phyficians, for thofe of other parts. Mr. Lieutand, of the French Academy, gives an extraordinary cafe of this kind. A man had a fever, with a violent diforder of the Head ; he af- terwards was feized with a violent cough, and brought up a large quantity of matter. It was not doubted but that this was from the lungs, and no one queftioned but that the man had an abfcefs there. On opening the body, however, the lungs Were found perfectly found, and all his diforder was found to fee in his Head, where the fphenoidal, frontal, and maxillary finufes were found fo full of matter, that they could contain Ho more.
Some phyficians tell us, that perfons who are fubject to difor- ders of the Head, ought not to take any food at night. Dr. Bryan Robinfon of the Food and Difcharges of Hum. Bod. p. 95. M. le Dran, in his obfervations on wounds of the Head, fhews how much more dangerous the cafe is, when the cra- nium does not break by violent blows, &c than when it is fractured, becaufe of the greater commotion of the brain, &c. And therefore concludes it neceffary to perform the operation of the trepan oftener than is commonly practifed. Med, Eff. Edinb.
M. Winflow has given us fome very particular and curious remarks on the motions of the Head and neck, in the Me- moires de r Acad, Royale des Sciences, An. 1730.
Bkeding in the Head. Many phyficians have been of opinion, that bleeding from the veins of the Forehead and temples is more expeditious in giving relief in diforders of the Head, than the like difcharg'e by veins more remote from the part affected. There fecms, however, to be but little foundation for this, and that the bleeding by the jugular vein would much more expeditioufly anfwer the end propofed. If the furgeon, how- ever, is called upon to perform this operation, he muff, firft draw a handkerchief or neckcloth as tight round the neck as can be conveniently borne, that by compreffing the jugular vein, thofe branches of it may become more turgid and con- spicuous. The vein being opened, the patient muft hold down his Head, that the blood may not trickle down into his eyes or mouth, when the ftream does not fpin out with fuf- ficient force. If the blood does not flop of itfelf, after a fuf- ficient quantity is difcharged, you mint comprefs the orifice with a finger, and, after wiping the forehead and face, apply a comprefs or two, with the proper bandage. Heifter's fur- gery, p. 282.
Bleeding in another part of the Head however, that is, by the occipital veins, which communicate with the lateral finu- fes of the dura mater, is both by reafon and experience ap- proved to be ferviceable in moft diforders of the brain, where that part is overcharged with blood, which may be this way diverted and evacuated. Thefe occipital veins are opened by the fame apparatus with thofe in the forehead.
Cartilages s/^'Head. The condyloide apophyfes of the os oc- cipitis, the glenoide cavities, or articular foffuJse of the ofla temporum, the eminences next thefe cavities, and the condy- loide apophyfes of the lower jaw are all crufled over with very white and fmooth cartilages, and there is likewife an interarticular or moveable cartilage in each articulation of the lower jaw with the temporal bones. The remaining cartilages of the Head are the cartilaginous feptum, and other cartilages of the nofe ; the fmall cartilaginous ring in each orbit, the car- tilages of the outer ear, and thofe which are joined to the os hyoides, which fee in their proper places. IFinJIow's Ana- tomy, p. 150.
Ligaments of the Head. The ligaments of the bones of the Head are thefe : Thofe between the occipital condyles and the fuperior apophyfes of the firft vertebra of the neck ; thofe between the os occipitis and the apophyfis dentiformis of the fecond vertebra ; thofe of the articulation of the lower jaw with the tempoal bones ; and thofe by which the os hyoides is connected to the ftyloide apophyfes. To thefe muft be added the ligaments which connect the cartilages of the ear, thofe of the nofe, the fmall cartilaginous pulleys of the orbits, and the ciliary cartilages.
The ligaments of the occipital condyles refemble thofe of the vertebra?, and confift of a ftrong intertexture of ligamen- tary filaments, placed clofe by each other, round the whole articulation, and fixed by one end in the occipital bone, by the other in the fuperior apophyfes of the firft vertebra, and furrounding the capfular ligaments.
The ligaments which go from the os occipitis to the apophy- fis dentiformis are very thick, anddifpofed in feparate fafciculi, which afterwards unite, and the ligaments of the articulation of the lower jaw are very ftrong, and difpofed and inferted in fuch a manner as thofe by which the clavicle is inferted into the iternum. They are fixed, by one extremity, round the glenoide cavity, or articular foflula and eminence of each temporal bone, by their middle, round the interarticular cartilage, and by the other extremity round each condyle of the lower jaw. IVinjhw's Anatomy, p. 151.
Ulcers of the Head. There are feveral ulcers which the hairy part of the Head is fubject to, and which the writers in me- dicine have diftinguifhed by the feveral names of tinea, favi, and achores; tho' they do not all ao;ree about the determinate fignificatioii of each of thofe words. By the term favus,
however, we how generally underftand fuch ulcers of "the Head as are full of cavities, like a honeycomb ; by achores, thofe which are full of fmall holes, and contain a moderately vifcid humour. Many call thefe diforders by the common /
name of tinea, becaufe, from the abundance of fmall holes in them, they make the head look like a moth-eaten garment; but this is a vague fignification of the word, and we ufually now underftand it, in a more determinate fenfe, to mean a large and dry fcab, to which the heads of children are fubject, and which is full of thick foul fcales, and very offenfive to the fmell. This fometimes alfo extends itfelf to the face, in which cafe it is called crufta latlea. It is often of a mild and benign nature, but is fometimes very ill-condition'd and dangerous. There is alfo a yet worfe kind of tinea than this, which Co- vers the whole hairy fcalp with an afh-colour\i thick craft, attended with a violent itching and grievous ftench. This is generally very difficult of cure, and the perfons afflicted with it have generally a pale unhealthy countenance. It much more frequently affects young perfons than adults, and is generally occafioned either by the nurfes irregular courfe of life, or by the child's being ufed to foul feeding. Sometimes alfo ulcers of this kind, from the fame caufes, break out in adults, and are very difficult to cure; thefe much refemble the leprofy : And in the pox, it is common to find the Head and face, par- ticularly the forehead, fpread with dry fcabs and fcabby ul- cers.
When ulcers of thefe kinds are flight, gentle purges, with the addition of calomel, mould be given at proper intervals, ad- miniftring between whiles, to adults, the decoctions of the woods, with' the fweetening powders. Infants at the breaft may take diaphoretic powders ; and their nurfes ought to profecute the other methods. Externally it is proper to ufe cream, with a fmall quantity of cerufs mixed in it, or the oil of eggs, or of wax, with the elecampane ointment, or that of cerufs or the diapompholygos. And if the ulcers are of a worfe kind, dofes of calomel are to be given more frequently, and a little crude quickfilver may be added to the external applica- tions with great fuccefs. But in worfe cafes, and where mercurials may not be employed, it will be neceffary to take off all the hair; this may be done either by degrees, or at once, by means of a pitch plafter fpread upon ftrong cloth, and applied all over the fcalp, after the hair has been cut pretty fhort. When a plafter of this kind has lain on twelve, or four and twenty hours, the method is to pull it off at once, and_ it brings away with it both all the hair and the fcabs. This, though a good method, is however a very harm one, and cannot be done without great pain and effufion of blood. When the plaifter is taken off, the blood is to be wiped away with dry lint, and then the Head anointed with oil of bricks, with a fmall admixture of oil of wax among it, and afterwards the whole fcalp fhould be covered with a plafter of frogs fpawn, with a fmall admixture of camphor. This dref- fing fhould be repeated every day, tiil the injured parts are clean, and then they may be healed with the oil of eggs and effence of amber: Internal medicines to fweeten the blood, and a regularity of diet fhould alfo be obferved at the fame time ; a mixture of crude antimony and flower of brimftone ferve well for this purpofe, and mould be given for fome time before the external remedies, here directed, are employed. Heijter's Surgery, p. 268. Head of Fijb, Caput Pifcium. The Head, in the fifh kind, is fo very various in its fhape and figure, that it makes one of the great articles of their diftinction and characters. The Head is always fmgle, and placed at the anterior extremity of the body; but its proportion or fize, as well as figure, is very va- rious in the feveral kinds. Its differences in figure are five.
1. tit is, in fome fifhes, cathetoplateous ; that is, its fides feem fqueezed together, and its perpendicular meafure, for this reafon, is greater than its tranfverfe meafure. We have inftances of this in the pearch, the cyprini, and in feveral others.
2. In others it is plagioplateous ;'that is, depreffed fo that its top and bottom feem to have been fqueezed downwards upon one another. Hence its horizontal breadth is greater than its perpendicular, and it is, in all refpects, the contrary to the other Head. The conger, the fturgeon, and the rayfifh, give us evident inftances of this fort of Head.
3. In fome fifhes the Head is evidently rounded and cylindrk, as in the petromyzae.
4. The Head is, in fome, fmooth, as is the cafe of moft fifhes ; but in others it is rough and aculeated, as in the fcor- psense, the cotti, and the legyri.
The differences with refpect to proportion are alfo very great. The Head, in refpect of the reft of the body, is in fome,
I. narrower than the middle of the body, as in the cyprini, falmons, mackrel, pearch, &c. 2. In fome it is broader than the middle of the body, as in the cotti, filuri, &e. And 3. In others it is about equal to the middle of the body in breadth, as in the clarias.
The differences of the mouths of fifhes, fee under the article Mouth.
The bones of the Head, in all animals, deferve great at- tention ; and in fifh particularly, as they are more numerous in thefe than in any other creatures. They differ much alfo
