Diphtheria and its associates / by Lennox Browne ; illustrated by the author.
- Browne, Lennox (Isaac Lennox), 1841-1902.
- Date:
- 1897
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Diphtheria and its associates / by Lennox Browne ; illustrated by the author. Source: Wellcome Collection.
31/320 page 5
![HISTORY. S for adjudication, unci that the prize was divided between twe of the cunipetitors—JUBINE of Geneva, and ALBERS of Bremen. Nothing could more forcibly demonstrate the great lack of information which then generally obtained as to the disease than a consideration of the opinions and the methods of treatment enunciated by these authors, but to quote from their writings would be only to thrice slay the slain. It was reserved for Bretonneau of Tours,—in his famous work, entitled Des inflammations spdcialcs du tissii mucpieux, which, written in 1821, was not published till 1826,—to give a complete account of the disease as it had been exhibited during a terrible qiulemic in the city in which lie practised. This was followed by subsequent valuable memoirs on the same subject extending to the year 1855. Among the points of interest particularly brought out by this observer, was the minor position that diphtheria takes with regard both to contagion and gangrenous ulceration, as compared with scarlet fever and other diseases of this class, and his recognition of the systemic poisoning so characteristic of diphtheria, as evidenced by the occurrence of paralysis. He also drew attention to nasal diphtheria, to epidemic influenza as a predisposing cause, and to many other clinical features, not a few of which are brought under our notice from time to time as novelties. The vigour with which Bretonneau pursued his local applications of nitrate of silver—a mode of treatment first recommended by Mackenzie of Glasgow in 1825—was probably responsible for the long delayed recognition of the essential importance of topical remedial measures in the scientific treatment of this disease. Bretonneau was also the first to administer mercury for this malady, which he did both by calomel given internally, and by inunctions with mercurial ointment. Not the least interesting and instruct] ve of his experiences are the careful records of numerous necropsies which were performed under his personal supervision. Bretonneau's observations were generally confirmed by those of Gueksant (1835), who took special trouble to rescue the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20396648_0031.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
