Practical observations on cancer / by the late John Howard.
- Howard, John, Fellow of the College of Surgeons
- Date:
- 1811
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Practical observations on cancer / by the late John Howard. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.
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![- Case 26.]—A lady, about 45, unmarried, had m. fairly moveable scirrhous tumor in the breast, su- perficial, not larger than a walnut,—the skin not discoloured, and she, otherwise, in perfeet health. She applied to a surgeon, who conceiving, from the smallness of the tumor, that he could destroy it with the lapis infernalis, gradualli/ in the first instance pencilled the skin, and then, by the sub- sequent use of the same caustic, attempted to de- stroy the gland. This was extremely injudicious^ Had he acted differently, and had destroyed the gland at once, by causing the application to act to the bottom by every part of the tumor, it is pos- sible that the whole might have sloughed away, because it was small, circumscribed and solitary. Instead of which, he raised immediately a great decree of irritation where there was little before; and he kept that irritation up, by a gradual repe- tition of the caustic, The removal by caustic should have been so managed as to have been done at once, or the caustic ought not to have been used at alb Indeed, it would have been infinitely better if this moveable tumor had been extirpated by the knife.—To proceed, ulceration having been pro- duced, it spread rapidly, and the lady's health be- came immediately affected. Under these circumstances, finding no relief from the surgeon, she submitted to have the sore sucked by toads. I was informed, by the attend- ing apothecary, that this extraordinary application](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21458571_0080.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
