S P L 



S P L 



out any painful fenfation. But when the tumid fpleen has 

 attained a confiderable fize, it may be diftinftly felt by the 

 hand, and dillinguifhed by its fituation and general fliape. 

 Its anterior edge may be traced under the margin of the 

 ribs upon the left fide, and it is fometimes afcertained by this 

 examination to be notched. Under this Hate of the dif- 

 eafe the patient can only lie upon the left fide ; but he 

 ufually complains of a fenfe of fulnefs and weight, rather 

 than of pain, dragging downwards towards the left fide, 

 and of fome oppreffion of the itomach after eating. The 

 coniplexion is always of a dirty, fallow, or leaden hue. 

 The patient is alio faid to be liable to haemorrhages of the 

 nofe. If the enlargement goes on, it reduces the body to 

 great emaciation, and at length terminates in an incurable 

 dropfy. Dr. Pemberton mentions a tumid fpleen, which 

 he law, which weighed three pounds two ounces. See 

 Baillic, loc. cit. Pemberton on Various Difeafes of the 

 Abdom. Vifcera, chap. v. 



The laft-raentioned author conjeftures, that the fpleen 

 may be thus affeded with zfivcUwg of its fubftance, merely 

 from a larger quantity of blood being conveyed to it by the 

 arteries, without thefe arteries taking on that aftion which 

 is effential to inflammation. It is evident, indeed, that this 

 enlarged and compatl ftate of the vifcus is fomething en- 

 tirely different from the ordinary refults of inflammation, 

 and is perhaps peculiar to the ilrufture of the fpleen alone. 

 It will not unfrequently fubfide fpontaneoufly, or with the 

 afliftance of medicines, to its natural fize, and feems to be 

 accelerated in that progrefs by the ufe of mercurial friftion 

 upon the abdomen, and by the adminiitration of purgatives. 

 The patient fliould perfevere in the mercurial courfe, till 

 the mouth is flightly afFefled, and then it (hould be gra- 

 dually laid afide. Small dofes of calomel, in union with the 

 extraft of conium, anfwer the double intention of allaying 

 the irritation of the ftomach, and of promoting abforption; 

 and if there is a confiderable degree of tendernefs, which is 

 fometimes produced by an enlarged fpleen about the arti- 

 culations of the falfe ribs with the fpine, it may be removed 

 either by leeches or cupping. The diet of the patient 

 fliould confift of milk, gruel, and a fmall quantity of animal 

 broth. 



With refpcdl to the prognofis. Dr. Pemberton obferves, 

 the moil favourable fymptoms are, a diminution of the un- 

 eafy fenfations in the left fide, and an improvement in the 

 colour of the fl<in : the moil unfavourable are, an increafe 

 of the fweUing of the left fide, and the lower part of the 

 abdomen becoming enlarged : and if this part gives a fen- 

 fation of flnftuation, the cafe is almoil hopelefs. Loc. 

 cit. 



Spleen, Morbid Changes of the. Among the other 

 morbid conditions of the fpleen, to which we have already 

 alluded, may be mentioned, firll, an extreme foftnefs of the 

 organ, which is not uncommon in middle and more advanced 

 life. In thefe cafes, the fubltance of the fpleen feems to 

 confift of httle elfe than a very foft brownifh-rcd mucus, 

 intermixed with a fpongy fibrous texture. This ftate of 

 the fpleen is not marked by any pecuhar feehngs,' fo as to 

 make the perfons confcious of any difeafe, and is probably 

 of very little confequence in the general economy of the 

 animal. The fpleen, indeed, is faid to be occafionally want- 

 ing, as a defeft in the natural formation, and it has even 

 been cut out, both from men and quadrupeds, without oc- 

 cafioning them to fufier any inconvenience afterwards. An- 

 other dileafe of the fpleen is the occurrence of tubercles in 

 its fubftance, very fimilar to the fcrofulous tubercles of the 

 lungs, which are placed at regular diftances from each 

 other, and do not run into mafles, and feldora or never fup. 



purate. Hydatids, of the fame kind with thofe found in 

 the liver, are occafionally formed in the fpleen ; but they 

 are much more common in the former vifcus. Calcareous 

 concretions have alfo been feen occafionally in the fpleen, but 

 they are very rare. Sometimes the fpleen has been rup- 

 tured, in confequence of external preffure upon that fide of 

 the body where it is fituated. This accident can feldom 

 take place, when the fpleen is of the common fize, becaufe 

 it is well defended by the ribs ; but it may readily happen, 

 when the fpleen is very large, fo that a part of it pafles 

 below the margin of the ribs into the cavity of the flank. 

 The only other morbid condition of any importance, which 

 affefts the fpleen, is an occafional converfion of its coats 

 into a cartilaginous fubftance, which is almoft exclufively 

 obferved in this vifcus. The cartilage is generally found in 

 its convex furface, and rather refembles the cartilages of 

 the ears and nofe, than that which is found at the extremi- 

 ties of bones. Thefe varieties of difeafe are not to be dil- 

 tinguilhed during life by any peculiar fymptoms. 



Spleen, in Ichthyology. The fpleen in fifties is ufually 

 fituate near the ftomach in the left fide of the abdomen. 

 Its figure is generally triangular, fometimes oblong. Its 

 colour it always more duflcy and obfcure than that of the 

 liver. See Fish. 



Spleen of Birds, in Ornithology. See Anatomy o/" Birds. 

 SpLKEtf-iyort, in Botany, Sec. See Asplenium and 

 MiLT-TOa/?£-. 



Spleen-/Fo//, Rough. See Lonchitis. 

 SPLENECTOMIA, the name given to the chirurgical 

 operation of cutting out the fpleen. 



SPLENETIC, a-jrXnnmc, a perfon afFefted with oppila- 

 tions and obftruftions of the fpleen. 



In fplenetic people, the fpleen is fwelled beyond the na- 

 tural bulk ; or it is hardened fo, as to ftiew a fchirrou* 

 tumour in it. 



Splenetic people are diftinguilhed by a livid, lead-coloured 

 complexion ; and their charaifler is, to be very prone to 

 laughter ; which is an expedient nature is fuppofed to make 

 ufe of, to evacuate the too redundant humour the fpleen 

 is charged withal ; whence it is, that the ancients made 

 the fpleen the organ of laughter ; and hence that popular 

 faying, of a perfon laughing heartily, that he vents his 

 fpleen. 



Splenetic Waters. See Water. 

 SPLENIA, comprefles refembling the fpleen in ftiape. 

 SPLENIC Vessel, a large artery and vein of the fpleen ; 

 which fee. 



SPLENITIS. See Spleen, Inflammation of. 

 SPLENIUS, called alfo mafloidcus poflerior, in Ana- 

 tomy, a flat, broad, oblong mufcle, fituated obliquely be- 

 tween the back part of the ear, and the potterior and lower 

 part of the neck. 



It is partly fingle, and partly madfe up of two portions, 

 one fuperior, the other inferior. Thefe two portions are 

 clofely united backward, making only one plane, but they 

 are divided above. 



The two fplenii reprefent a great Roman V, and the 

 fplenius, and fterno-malloideus of the fame fide, form a 

 figure like a Roman A, or the legs of a pair of compafles, 

 the points of which are in an horizontal plane. 



The two fplenii ferve to fupport the head in an ereft 

 pofture, whether in Handing or fitting; to moderate the 

 flexion of the head forward, and to bring it back again to 

 its natural pofture. They ferve alternately to co-operate 

 with either of the fterno-maftoidei for the rotation of the 

 head. The complexi are afliftants to the fplenii, to keep 

 the head ftraight in fitting or ftanding, to hinder it from 

 6 inclining 



