Dr. Underwood's treatise on the diseases of children : with directions for the management of infants.

Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Underwood's treatise on the diseases of children : with directions for the management of infants. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    588/620
    [In a case of spina bifida, which occurred in tlie practice of Mr, Evans, of Hampstead, pressure upon the tumour al- ways induced attacks similar to the convulsions of croup. The infant was carefully preserved from the pressure which would be induced by the supine recumbent posture.—M. H.] PARENCHYMATOUS TUMOURS. The resemblance which some of these bear to the last-men- tioned disorder renders them worthy of particular notice, as they are not always easily distinguished from it. They appear on different parts of the spine, but more commonly near the neck, or the os sacrum; are accounted marks, and are often of a morbid nature, and it is imagined would not unfrequently prove fatal if left to themselves. As I design, however, to treat only of such as will admit of some remedy, I shall men- tion but two. The first is a tumour on some of the vertebrae, usually of the neck, or the first of the back; it is of a sublivid hue, un- equal, internally spongy, and very vascular. I saw one of this kind some years ago, in consultation with the late Sir Caesar Hawkins, who advised to preserve the skin unbroken, as long as it should be possible, which he feared was all that could be done for it; and to this end recommended the free use of the compound water of acetated litharge. It was then about the size of a crown piece, and not raised very much above the level of the surrounding parts. The tumour, how- ever, increased, and the skin not long afterwards gave way, and the child became ill; in consequence of which, the late Dr. Hunter was desired to give his opinion, who advised the extirpation of the tumour as the only chance of preserving the child’s life; but the father disapproved of the operation. The part soon began to bleed a good deal at times; in order to suppress which, as well as to lessen the tumour, which was now considerably more prominent, I sprinkled it with the fo - lowing powder. • nr- Ij, _Bol. Armen. Pulv. Catechu, a ^ij. Alumni. 5j. Misce. Over this, compresses, wetted as above, were applied fre-