897 



ENTERITIS. 



ENTRY. 



S5 



he patient is far more exhausted after a few hours' illness in this 

 disease than after an attack of as many days' duration in most other 

 acute maladies. This rapid and extreme prostration is highly charac- 

 teristic of enteritis ; and if it be combined with any one of the symptoms 

 which have been described, should leave no doubt of the existence, in 

 an intense form, of one of the most dangerous diseases to which the 

 human body is subject. 



As the inflammation advances, the pulse becomes more rapid and 

 feeble ; the abdomen swollen, tense, and tympauitic ; the prostration 

 increases ; the skin, instead of being hot, becomes cold and clammy, 

 and the extremities, more especially, are cold. 



The inflammation has a peculiar tendency to terminate in gangrene. 

 Before this event happens, it is usually conceived that the inflammatory 

 action extends from the peritoneal to the muscular coat, and that in 

 the most intense cases all the coats of the intestine become involved. 

 The signs that mortification has taken place are, cessation of pain, 

 hiccup, increased frequency and weakness of the pulse, greater collapse 

 of the countenance, and increased prostration. But it is remarkable, 

 that often when the patient dies under the ordinary symptoms of mor- 

 tification, on the examination of the intestine after death, nothing can 

 be detected but the usual appearances of inflammation ; there is no 

 trace of a gangrenous spot ; death is produced by the intensity of the 

 inflammation. 



The brain usually remains unaffected to the end ; the mental faculties 

 are but little impaired ; but sometimes, as the disease advances, the 

 mind becomes confused and wandering, and occasionally delirium sets 

 in early, a certain sign that the disease is of extraordinary intensity. 



The exciting causes of the disease are, acrid and indigestible matters 

 taken into the stomach in large quantity ; habitual full living on 

 highly seasoned food ; the accumulation of hardened fseces ; cold drinks, 

 especially when the body had been previously overheated. But perhaps 

 the most common cause of the disease is cold, combined with moisture, 

 applied either directly to the abdomen, or to the body generally, and 

 more especially to the lower extremities. It is also frequently super- 

 induced by strangulated hernia ; and on the sudden occurrence of the 

 symptoms of enteritis the abdomen should always be carefully examined, 

 with a view to ascertain whether hernia be present. It may also be 

 caused by an event which cannot be known until after death, the 

 involution of one fold of the intestine within another (intus-susception 

 or volvulus), so as to occasion a complete obstruction to the passage of 

 the contents of the bowels. 



Enteritis can "scarcely be confounded with any other disease excepting 

 colic, and the relation between these two affections is so close that 

 severe colic is very apt to lapse into enteritis ; and this it is very 

 important that the practitioner should bear in mind. But when colic 

 exists as a distinct disease it is clearly distinguished from enteritis by 

 the absence of fever, and of the prostration so characteristic of enteritis; 

 by the occurrence of the pain more decidedly in paroxysms with inter- 

 vals of complete ease ; by the diminution, not the increase, of the pain 

 on pressure, and by the strikingly different state of the pulse. 



Enteritis may attack persons of all ages, from the infant a day old 

 to the man who reaches the extreme term of human life. It may 

 occur at all seasons of the year. Its attack is often sudden, and it 

 sometimes proves fatal with frightful rapidity. It is by no means 

 uncommon for a person apparently in sound health to be destroyed 

 by this disease within twenty-four hours from the commencement of 

 the attack. 



Hence the importance of a knowledge of its early symptoms, and the 

 necessity of attacking it with the utmost promptitude and vigour. The 

 ordinary remedies for inflammation must be employed with decision. 

 The character of the pulse, the sunk countenance, the prostration of 

 strength, may appear to contra-indicate blood-letting ; but these are 

 false indications, and if regarded, the event will be fatal. After a 

 copious bleeding the pulse often diminishes in frequency and increases 

 in strength ; the expression of the countenance improves, and the 

 vital energies recover, as if the system were relieved of an oppressive 

 load. Bleeding must be carried as far as possible, until it appears to 

 have made an impression upon the inflammatory action. It is a very 

 useful practice to bleed from the arm two or three times in succession, 

 after an interval of two or three hours, if the symptoms of inflamma- 

 tion do not abate. 



It is without doubt highly desirable to procure evacuations from the 

 bowels ; but the disease is to be cured by the removal of the inflam- 

 mation, not by opening the bowels. Death often takes place though 

 the bowels are opened, and the fatal event is not unfrequently 

 hastened, if not brought about by the acrid nature of the cathartics 

 given to remove the constipation. These acrid cathartics, if they open 

 the bowels, do not necessarily save the patient ; and if fiey do not 

 open the bowels they greatly increase the inflammation. Only the 

 mildest aperients should be employed. This is one of the diseases in 

 which the judicious employment of calomel and opium is attended 

 with the best results. 



Colic to often converted into enteritis, or a case of enteritis mistaken 

 for colic is frightfully aggravated, by taking spirituous cathartics, as 

 tincture of rhubarb, for the relief of the pain. In no case whatever 

 should any vinous or spirituous cathartic be taken for pain in the 

 bowels, however slight, without the sanction of a medical man. 

 Persons continually sacrifice their lives by taking brandy, or a large 



ARTS AD 8C DIV. VOL. III. 



dose of some tincture, for what they call spasm of the stomach or 

 bowels. The so-called spasm oftentimes is inflammation, which the 

 stimulus of the alcohol increases to such a degree that the disease is no 

 longer to be restrained by any remedies that can be employed. 



Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the intestines, called 

 enteria, or enteritis erythemoidea is attended with a different set of 

 symptoms. In this case, the bowels are generally relaxed. There is 

 griping pain which is generally referred to the umbilicus or right iliac 

 porea. There is inclination to sickness, and the bowels are frequently 

 distended with flatus. There is coldness of the surface, with frequent 

 shivering. The tongue is moist, but viscid, clammy, and furred. 

 The abdomen is not tender when pressed, but there is a general sense 

 of uneasiness. The stools are at first feculent and large, but afterwards 

 become scanty, frequent, and watery, containing undigested food, and 

 sometimes blood. 



In these cases the mucous membrane is highly congested, and 

 ulceration is constantly present. 



The treatment consists of bleeding by leeches, warm fomentations, 

 acting on the bowels by gentle purgatives combined with opiates. 

 Where the pain is violent opium should be given to relieve the pain. 



ENTOMO'LOGY, that branch of science which treats upon insects. 

 The term entomology literally signifies a discourse upon insects, it being 

 derived from the two Greek words, tntomon, an insect, and logos, a 

 discourse. 



The term entoma was first applied to these animals by Aristotle, and 

 is synonymous with the Latin word iusecta (whence is derived the 

 English name insects), both having reference to a striking character 

 exhibited in the insect tribe, that of having the body insetted, or, as it 

 were, cut and divided into numerous segments. 



ENTOZOA. [WORMS.] 



ENTRESOL, a French term used to signify a floor between other 

 floors. The entresol consists of a low apartment or apartments, usually 

 placed above the first floor. The Italian form, mezzanine, is now 

 perhaps more frequently employed than the French one ; and the 

 mezzanine is in London often placed above the ground floor. In 

 street architecture it is desirable to form the basement story on a 

 scale of grandeur, and in so doing a greater space than necessary 

 would frequently be given to the first floor, if it were not for the 

 entresol. 



There is a good example of an entresol in the Regent Street Quadrant 

 in London, and it has been introduced in many other cases where the 

 lower floor has been intended for shops. The entresol is a frequent 

 feature in the architecture of Paris. 



ENTRY (from the French entree, and Latin intrare, to enter), in 

 Law, is a taking possession by the legal owner of lands and tenements 

 when another person is wrongfully in possession of them. At the 

 common law this might be effected by force ; but as it was the cause 

 of great abuses, forcible entries were made punishable by fine and 

 imprisonment by two statutes of Richard II., which were enlarged by 

 the statute 8 Henry VI. c. 9. 



The effect of an entry was formerly to keep alive the assumed right 

 of the person making the entry to the premises he entered on. This 

 was effected by an annual repetition of the entry, which was called 

 continual claim. The party availing himself of this summary process 

 entered upon some part of the property claimed, and formally declared 

 that thereby he took possession of the whole ; and the entry was 

 repeated in each county in which the lands lay. 



The statute 3 & 4 Will. IV. c. 27, in effect abolished this practice 

 by making twenty years' possession a good title to land, and at the 

 same time abolishing the ancient writs of entry, which the continual 

 claim above alluded to entitled the party to bring at any time. An 

 entry on lands has accordingly no effect now, unless the tenant in 

 possession admits the right of the person making the entry, the effect 

 of which is that he is at once in possession of the property. When 

 the right is not admitted, the entry has no effect, and the claimant 

 must proceed by ejectment. 



Entry, forcible, is an entry made with a strong hand, with unusual 

 weapons, an unusual number of servants, or with menace of life. If 

 effected with violence, and the entry only amounts in law to a trespass, 

 it is not within the meaning of the statutes of Richard II. above 

 referred to. The remedy for parties aggrieved, and the mode of 

 obtaining restitution, is either by an action at law, by indictment, or 

 by justices of the peace upon the view. If made by more than three 

 persons, they may be proceeded against as in case of a riot. 



Entry, tlte writ of, was the ancient method of gaining possession of 

 disputed property by trying the title of the occupant. This writ was 

 directed to the sheriff, requiring him to command the tenant that he 

 render to the demandant the premises in question. The tenant there- 

 upon was either compelled to deliver up the possession of the land, or 

 to show cause why he refused to do so. This might be done by justi- 

 fying his own title or that of others under whom he claimed. The 

 claims of the respective parties were then tried before a jury, and the 

 possession of the land was awarded to him who produced the clearest 

 evidence of his right. 



There were several writs of entry both at the common law and by 

 statute, but they appear to have long fallen into disuse before their 

 final abolition by the stat. 3 & 4 Will. IV. c. 27. The learning respect- 

 ing them, which is somewhat curious, may be found in Reeve's 



3 M 



