A treatise on neuralgic diseases : dependent upon irritation of the spinal marrow and ganglia of the sympathetic nerve / by Thomas Pridgin Teale.

  • Teale, Thomas Pridgin, 1801?-1868.
Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on neuralgic diseases : dependent upon irritation of the spinal marrow and ganglia of the sympathetic nerve / by Thomas Pridgin Teale. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    A few weeks ago, when at a distance from home, f was consulted by a lady respecting a painful affection of the left breast, which was enlarged and indurated in one part towards the axilla; the tumour appeared to have been produced by a simple enlargement of the glandular structure; the whole surface of the breast was painful on pressure, and she suffered from frequent pains dart- ing from the neck over the breast and shoulder. The tumour had continued obstinate, notwithstanding the frequent use of leeches and iodine. On examining the spine, the lower cervical vertebrae were found to be tender. I advised the occasional application of a blister to this part, but have not since heard from the surgeon who attended her. These cases render it highly probable that the affec- tion usually known as the irritable breast, is a neu- ralgic affection of the part, dependant upon a morbid state of the lower cervical portion of the spinal marrow. The description given by Sir Astley Cooper* of the irritable state of the breast, exactly coincides with the phenomena attendant upon these neuralgic affections. When, says he, the complaint affects the glandular structure of the breast, there is scarcely any perceptible swelling, but one or more of the lobes becomes exqui- sitely tender to the touch; and, if it be handled, the pain sometimes continues for several hours. The un- easy sensation is .not confined to the breast alone, but it extends to the shoulder and axilla, to the inner side of the elbow, and to the fingers; it also affects that side of the body to the hip, &c. Patients also state that heat and cold frequently succeed each other in the breast, and it would seem that the pain resembles that in tic- *Illustrations of Diseases of the Breast, by Sir A. Cooper, p. 7(3.