Evidences of the communicability of consumption.

  • Heron, G. A. (George Allan), 1845-1915.
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Evidences of the communicability of consumption. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    about the size of a pea. It was painful, and sur- rounded with a zone of oedema. About one rnonth afterwards, Dr. Tscherning cut out this nodule, and found it composed of granulation tissue. It lay between the skin and the tendon. The wound rapidly healed, under a dressing of iodoform and perchloride of mercury. A little more than a month later, the patient again presented herself with a considerable swelling affecting the same finger, but now encroaching upon the palm of her hand, and interfering with the movements of flexion. The disease got worse. About ten weeks after the first operation, through the oedematous skin, a thickening in the sheath of the tendon could be easi]y felt. At this time two swollen glands in the forearm, and two others in the axilla, were noticed. In other respects the woman was in perfect health, and the lungs were sound. About eleven weeks after the incision of the nodule, Prof Studsgaard cut out the axillary and forearm glands, and re- moved the finger at the metacarpo-phalangeal articu- lation. At the same time, throuo-h an incision in the palm of the hand. Prof. Studsgaard removed, up to that joint, the tendon and its sheath. He also scraped away all subcutaneous granulations. In eleven days the wounds healed completely, beneath an antiseptic dressing. Under the microscope, the diseased tissues were found studded with typical tubercles, that is to say, tubercles with caseous centres, and giant cells. In these giant cells, and around the caseous material, and more frequently in isolated positions, tubercle bacilli were found, and they were also present in the swollen glands. The