Liver diseases

In the liver, in its special substance, diseases of nature arise, diseases of the combination, tumors and swellings, especially near the membrane - they break into the abdominal cavity - as well as other diseases, to which we will devote paragraph after paragraph. Sometimes the liver suffers a rupture to a greater extent than other organs, and there is no need to fear imminent death from it if it is not accompanied by hemorrhage from a large vessel. Diseases sometimes occur in association with the liver, especially with the stomach, with the spleen, with the gall bladder, with the kidneys, with the abdominal obstruction, with the lungs, with the mesentery and with the intestines, mainly with the upper ones. As for the stomach, spleen, gall bladder, mesentery and intestines, first of all the vessels adjacent to the concave part of the liver enter into complicity with them, then the damage spreads to the liver itself and sometimes takes over it completely. And in case of disease of the abdominal obstruction, lungs and kidneys, the vessels of the convex part are involved first of all, then the disease spreads to the entire liver and sometimes takes hold of it. If complicity occurs, it most often occurs from the stomach; in this case, digestion is spoiled and food rushes out undigested, unless there is another reason. In diseases of the convex part of the liver, sometimes there is a rush of its juices outward; most often this is expressed in increased urination, nosebleeds and perspiration. As for diseases of its concave part, they, too, in many cases, are expressed in weakness, vomiting of yellow bile and blood, and perspiration.

Hot disorder of nature. Its signs are: strong thirst that does not stop from drinking water, little appetite for food, burning, yellow urine and significant coloration, rapidity and heart rate, fever, burnt meat and blood, and irritation from intoxicants. This is followed by melting, first of the juices and then of the liver meat, after which abrasions appear in the intestines. With such a nature, sometimes the nature dries up, without pain in the ribs or heaviness, and there is often vomiting - yellow-billed, red and green, the color of leek. Often there are bilious bowel movements, especially if there is also matter in the disorder of nature, and if there is no matter, then the amount of blood decreases, the tongue becomes rough, and the body loses weight. Such a disorder of nature is sometimes indicated by the patient’s habits and age, occupation and routine. A moderate disorder produces yellow bile, and an excessive one produces black bile and black bile diseases: melancholy, madness, and the like. When diarrhea begins in the form of meat slop with a loss of appetite, it most often happens from weakness of the liver, resulting from a hot nature. However, in most cases, the bowel movements are dry and burnt, unless, of course, the heat reaches the point of burning the blood, juices and fleshy substance of the liver, and does not remove them from the bottom. When heat begins to burn the blood, the stool becomes like wine grounds, but if there is combustion or a tumor or an abscess in the liver and something black and thick comes out in the stool, then this is liver meat that has rotted; however, not every black substance passed in stool is malignant. Often, diarrhea in the form of meat slop or purulent, watery diarrhea continues for some time, and then the stool thickens and becomes black, dense and fetid, as happens in patients with pestilence fever; sometimes after purulent stool, blood comes out and then liquid black bile.

Cold disorder of nature. Its signs are pallor of the lips and tongue, scarcity of blood that flows out with difficulty, an abundance of mucus, little thirst, deterioration of the complexion and the disappearance of its shine. The complexion sometimes darkens to greenish, and sometimes becomes yellow-green to pistachio. Signs of a cold nature are also pallor, mucous and thick urine due to congealing of juices, weakening of the pulse, as well as severe hunger, for hunger does not only come from the stomach, and poor absorption of food; when coldness reaches its limit, it completely destroys the appetite. The stool is sometimes dry and odorless, and sometimes it is moist due to weak attraction of nutrients, whitish and little smell. Often the stools become liquefied and wet, but they do not remain like this all the time, and diarrhea does not become more frequent, although attacks and its presence last for a long time; at the end of the attack, something like putrid blood is released, not like liquid blood. With the cold nature of the liver, fevers sometimes occur after a while, since the liquid blood in the liver undergoes putrefaction, which affects it. These are severe fevers, which we will talk about in the part about fevers. At the beginning of the disorder, there is liquid pus in the stool, which later becomes thicker and darker. If there is diarrhea and the bowel movements are similar to the water in which fresh meat was washed, and at first the appetite remains, this indicates coldness of the liver, and if then there is a drop in appetite, this is often due to spoilage of juices or some other reason, for example, fever and the like; most often this indicates liver weakness due to coldness. At the end of the disorder of nature, the appetite returns and most often becomes large; with a cold nature of the liver, there are spasms of the abdominal walls.

Sometimes the coldness of the liver can be inferred from the age, habits and diet of the patient, as well as from previous reasons, if, for example, the patient drank cold water on an empty stomach or after a bath or copulation, because a heated liver absorbs water quickly and in large quantities on an empty stomach. If matter is present, this is recognized by the feeling of acid in the mouth and the moisture of the stool; It is often black or green, but not yellow or red. Sometimes, with the cold nature of the liver, fevers arise after a while, since the liquid blood in the liver undergoes putrefaction, which affects it. These are malignant fevers, and we will talk about them later, in the part about fevers.

Dry disorder of nature. Its signs: dry mouth and tongue, thirst, hard pulse, liquid urine; Often the complexion darkens. If there is an abundance of yellow bile and black bile, the signs of this are easily recognized from what you have learned in the main paragraphs.

Wet disorder of nature. It is indicated by swelling of the face and eyes, sagging flesh under the false ribs and weak thirst, unless there is heat that makes the liquid boil, as well as wetness of the tongue and pale complexion; Sometimes a slight yellowish tint is observed. If the coldness intensifies and the humidity overcomes, the complexion becomes greenish and the body sometimes weakens, because the moisture makes it flabby.