Diseases of the rectum and anus / by Alfred Cooper and F. Swinford Edwards.

  • Cooper, Alfred, Sir, 1846-1908.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of the rectum and anus / by Alfred Cooper and F. Swinford Edwards. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cease soon after evacuation of tlie fseces, to recur only when e,xcited in a similar manner. In most morbid conditions of this part of the bowel the sensory nerves are more or less violently affected, and hence alterations of sensation, varying fi-om slight discomfort to intense pain^ are among the most common symptoms. Many varieties of pain are experienced, and in examining a patient com- plaining of this symptom, it is well to inquire as to what relation the pain bears to the act of defeeca- tion, viz., whether it be spontaneous or be excited by the act in question, and in the latter case, whether it precede, accompany, or follow expulsion, whether it be prolonged and continuous, or of brief duration or intermittent. According to the answers given to these questions, some idea may be formed of the nature of the ailment. Pain is a symptom of fissure, of hwmorrhoids, of ulceration, and of certain morbid growths within the rectum. In fissure the pain is peculiarly severe, and out of all proportion to the size of the lesion. It comes on just at the beginning of defsecation, and is most intense during the act and for some time afterwards; it often lasts for several hours. It is described as of a hot, smarting, tearing character, very severe, and radiating towards the coccyx. When a patient complains of pain in the terms just described, it is almost certain that there is fissure. Pain due to hmmorrhoids varies greatly according to the condition of the parts. When uninflamed, I>iles, especially if external, cause at most a sense of fulness or uneasiness. A thrombotic pile always causes pain. With a slight degree of inflammation, there is a sensation of heat and pain in the part, much aggravated by pressure and during defoecation. The sensation of fulness and swelling about the
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