Dropsy

Dropsy (Gr. hydrops, from hydōr, 'water'), a class of diseases always of serious import, though not often, perhaps, directly fatal. Dropsy is rather a symptom than a disease; it consists of the effusion of watery fluid from the blood into the skin and subjacent textures, or into the cavities of the body. When the effusion is chiefly in the superficial parts, the dropsy is called Anasarca (ana, 'upon,' sarx, 'the flesh'); when it is in the abdomen, it is termed Ascites; when in the space around the lungs, Hydrothorax. Dropsy most commonly depends on disease of the Heart (q.v.) or Kidneys (q.v.); in cases of ascites, the liver and spleen are often at fault. The treatment of dropsy is chiefly by Diuretics (q.v.) and other evacuant remedies, which remove the fluid from the textures by unloading the blood of its excess of serum. It is, however, a matter of some difficulty to find the proper remedy in each individual case. In all cases of dropsy, the internal organs should be, if possible, submitted to a strict medical examination, and the treatment regulated accordingly. Mechanical means are also frequently used to relieve the patient of the fluid—in the case of the cavities of the body, Tapping (q.v.); in the cellular tissue either free incisions, or small tubes inserted through the skin, by which the fluid is allowed gradually to drain away.