Observations on painful subcutaneous tubercle, with cases and histories of the disease.

  • Wood, William, 1783-1858.
Date:
[1829]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on painful subcutaneous tubercle, with cases and histories of the disease. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    form, and situation of the tubercle, and by the symptoms ; and, fortunately, it admits of being siin- ply, safely, and effectually cured by the removal of the diseased part by the knife, which is much to be preferred to the more painful, more tedious, and less effectual method of cure, by the use of the ac¬ tual cautery, or of caustic applications. The tubercle is easily removed by a single inci¬ sion, and it is unnecessary to take away any portion of the integuments, or of the surrounding cellular substance. No bad effect has ever been found to follow this operation ; and in one case only of twenty- five, in which excision was had recourse to, was there any return either of the tumour or of the pain : and in this solitary instance, it is to be remarked, an attempt had been made, previously to the excision of the tumour, to cure the disease, by making a crucial incision into the affected part, in order to promote suppuration, and thus to destroy its irrita¬ bility : as this failed, excision was had recourse to, by which the complaint was removed for a time; but soon afterwards the tumour was reproduced. It is by no means unlikely, however, that the return of the disease was owing to some part of the morbid part having been allowed to remain, when extirpation was adopted, in consequence of the previous crucial incision and suppuration. Caustic applications, on the contrary, have been found to produce very severe pain, the treatment is tedious, even when they prove successful; and in several cases they have failed in curing the disease.
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