E. R. was a woman, to all appearance about eighty years of age, but of
whose history, before she came into the hospital, it has not been in my
power to acquire any satisfactory intelligence. She was an incurable
patient, and had been admitted on that establishment in February, 1782.
During the time I had an opportunity of observing her, she continued in
the same state: she appeared feeble and childish. During the course of the
day, she sat in a particular part of the common-room, from which she never
stirred. Her appetite was tolerably good, but it was requisite to feed
her. Except she was particularly urged to speak she never talked. As the
summer declined she grew weaker, and died October 19, 1796, apparently
worn out. She was opened two days after death. The scull was particularly
thin; the pericranium adhered firmly to the bone, and the scull-cap was
with difficulty separated from the dura mater. There was a very large
quantity of water between the membranes of the brain: the glandulae
Pacchioni were uncommonly large: the tunica arachnoidea was in many
places blotched and streaked with opacities: when the medullary substance
of the brain was cut into, it was every where bloody; and blood could be
pressed from it, as from a sponge. There were some large hydatids on the
plexus choroides: in the ventricles about a tea spoonful of water was
observed: the consistence of the brain was particularly firm, but it could
not be called elastic. There were no symptoms of general dropsy.