Manual of diseases of the skin / from the French of Cazenave ; with notes and additions by Thomas H. Burgess.
- Pierre Louis Alphée Cazenave
- Date:
- 1854
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Manual of diseases of the skin / from the French of Cazenave ; with notes and additions by Thomas H. Burgess. Source: Wellcome Collection.
42/446 page 32
![INTRODUCTION. first propounded by Unger, in 1833—attracted tbe attention of dermatologists to that subjeet, and bas found several supporters, amongst whom I may mention tbe names of Schoenlein, Gruby, Meynier, and Gibert. Tbe disciples of Unger bave extended tbe application of bis tbeory to cutaneous éruptions of other parts of the body. Thus, Gruby bas announced tbe vegetable origin of sycosis in sbort, tbat this disease is a species of cryptogamie plant. Tliis writer considéra tbe végétations of favus to belong to tbe group of mycodermata; wbile Unger is of opinion tbat tbe favi are analogous to tbe “exanthemata of plants.” Admitting tbe exist- ence of tbese vegetable fungi in favus, sycosis, &c., it is sufficiently évident, from tbe mémoire of Gruby and Dr. Hughes Bennett, tbat tliey are tbe resuit and not tbe cause of tbese diseases j moreover, it does not appear tbat tbey are invariably présent in ail cases. It seems to me tbat tbese so-called végétations are mere moulds, con- secutive of tbe elementary disease, and not the disease itself. Mr. Erichsen is of opinion tbat tbe elementary lésion of favus is tubercle, and not a vegetable. No one now doubts tbe existence of tbe little insect (acarus scabiei) in the human skin in cases of iteb ; but it by no means follows tbat it is tbe origin of tbat disease. It is not sufficient to be able to tell wbether any given disease be pustular, papular, or vesicular : we must go farther tban tbis, and endeavour to unravel tbe intimate nature of tbe éruptions them- selves, in order to arrive at a knowledge of tbose general laws wbicb must necessarily regulate their progress and development. Tbe recent and valuable discoveries in tbe anatomy of tbe skin by Schônlein, Gruby, Simon, Henle, Bowman, and otbers, are eini- nently calculated to facilitate our attempts towards establisbing a more enligbtened patkology ; for it is évident tbat tbe vague and erroneous notions wbicb formerly prevailed on tbe structure of tbe cutis, were tbe ebief means of arresting inquiry into tbe lésions of tbat organ, and of involving the wbole subjeet in an obscurity wbicb bad become proverbial.—B.] Diagnosis.—Tbe differential diagnosis of diseases of the skin is one of tbe most important points connected with their history. Without it, bow can we form an opinion as to their nature, or décidé upon the treatment? Mistaking scabies for lichen, prurigo, or](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28049573_0042.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
