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ON PLEURISY.

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Pleurisy, Pleuritis inflammation of the pleura, is named from the Greek word pleura rib/side, a term that signifies both the ribs and the membrane lining them. In this context, it is to be understood primarily as referring to that membrane.

Pleurisy is distinguished into true and false, though the false form is distinguished either by its location or its material.

The true form is an inflammation of the membrane lining the ribs and sides from within.

Therefore, the affected part is the membrane called the pleura. The immediate cause of this is blood or bile, which has been poured out between the membrane and the internal muscles of the thorax from the vein called the azygos the unpaired vein or from the intercostal vein.

The underlying reasons for this include an excessive quantity of blood, its thinness, or its effervescence, as well as the inherent weakness of the side itself.

The predisposing causes can include agitation from heat, baths, exercise, sudden anger, a blow, a fall, sudden refrigeration, or the sudden consumption of cold water. Furthermore, the region and the seasons, which are frequently exposed to northern winds, or any suppressed evacuation, can also be causes.

The signs of this affliction are general, most notably a significant...