Purpurous

Ebrus – the most beautiful of the rivers – / which in Thrace flowest with a strong sound, / along lands famous for their horses – / thou goest down silent to the purpurous sea near Ainos […]

The cavities of the pleuræ and pericardium were filled with a reddish serous effusion; but these membranes, with the exception of numerous points of purpurous effusion beneath them, were otherwise quite healthy. The purpurous spots were seen both under the pleura pulmonalis and costalis.

[Gabriel] Andral states that he was in attendance upon an old woman suffering from a cancerous affection of the stomach, and that, a fortnight before her death, numerous purpurous spots appeared upon the skin, and at the same time a notable quantity of blood escaped daily with her urine.

A very interesting form of purpura is that arising from congenital peculiarity:—Four or five years ago a poor mother brought her child, then aged 2 years, affected with this form of disease. The least blow upon the limbs produced effusions of blood, and a purpurous spot was the result, which soon resembled a large bruise; any puncture of the skin was followed by uncontrollable hæmorrhage; the gums very readily bled. […] During the last winter, the child was again brought to me, but in a dying state, […] The poor mother afterwards came in great distress, because a medical practitioner, who had been called in to see the child, not recognising the nature of the malady, said there must be a coroner's inquest; the purpurous vibices upon the body being mistaken for the bruises of ill treatment.