A case of foot and mouth disease in the human subject / by John Glaister.

  • Glaister, John, 1856-1932.
Date:
[1896?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A case of foot and mouth disease in the human subject / by John Glaister. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    very nervous. The most prominent symptom observable at this visit, and one of which she had not formerly complained was a painful condition of the mouth, of which upon examination the whole of the mucous membrane was found to be in an inflamed and tumified state. It had just the appearance as if it had been painted over with blistering fluid or as if she had washed her mouth with strong carbolic acid. This inflamed condition extended over the lips to the margin of the skin. In consequence of the tongue having shared the same inflamed and swollen state her articulation was difficult and thick, and the act of swallowing fluid had become both painful and diflacult. A rash had now begun to show itself on the forearms, which consisted of circular and oval spots slightly raised above the level of the skin (papules). These papules were comparatively few in number, and in respect of their position did not extend above the lower half of each forearm. In addition to this an unusual rash made its appearance on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet, which confined itself exclusively to these parts, there being, however, an occasional spot on the palmar aspect of the webs of the fingers and on the plantar aspect of the webs of the toes. But the incidence of the eruption on the palms and soles was the striking feature of it. The rash was composed of circular papules of a pinkish colour, which did not disappear on pressure. This undoubtedly indicated a purpuric character. This colour was not shared by the rash on the forearms, neither was any rash on any other part of the body. The whole symptoms— the fever, the conjunctivitis with profuse watery discharge, the infiamed condition of the nasal mucous membrane (also with profuse coryza), the generally inflamed and tumid condition of the mucous membrane of the mouth and tongue, and the peculiar character and incidence of the eruption— did not consort with those of any disease I had met with in the human subject during about twenty years' experience in practice, and, consequently, at first were puzzling. I had apparently to deal with stomatitis of a peculiar kind with superadded symptoms of a kind unknown to me. Suspicion soon fell upon foot and mouth disease, particularly after con- sultation with some experienced veterinary practitioners who had had considerable experience of the disease in the lower animals. Inquiry was thereupon made regarding the patient's connexion with cattle, but there was found to be not any. She, however, pointed out that she lived very largely upon raw milk—in fact, she daily consumed considerable quantities