Practical observations on the venereal disease, and on the use of mercury / by Abraham Colles.

  • Colles, Abraham, 1773-1843.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical observations on the venereal disease, and on the use of mercury / by Abraham Colles. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    374/384 (page 348)
    Few surgeons, extensively engaged in practice, have escaped meeting with cases of this chronic, or scrophulous ulceration of the throat; and all know that this may exist singly, or it may be combined with a similar affection of the mucous membrane of the nose, which is by no means a case of rare occurrence. In more rare instances the ulceration spreads forwards along the tongue. The case above detailed is an instance of a combination of all these affections.at once, and exhibits the disease as continuing for a period of at least eight or nine years. When [ first advised mercury for the cure of the throat, which had long been ulcerated, and of the tongue, which had only recently been attacked, I deemed the case much more favourable for its use, than I found it on his last application, when the disease had obviously spread to the nose; for I need not say, that, even in venereal ozzena, mercury is generally not capable of preventing most serious havoc being made in that organ; but, in the present case, it has suc- ceeded to.the utmost of my wishes. A few days ago I saw Mr. S., and found him in excellent — health, and very much improved in flesh and complexion. He assured me that he then enjoyed a degree of good health, to which he had for many years been a stranger. ‘The tongue and throat remained perfectly healed; and not the slightest trace of any affection of the nose could be discovered, or even suspected. Whether we consider or call this disease a scrophulous ulcer- ation, or merely an obstinate ulcer, one thing is plain, that it was cured by a moderate ptyalism, although it had for eight or nine years previously resisted, I believe, every other mode of treat- ment, both local and constitutional. By adducing this case as an instance of the value of mercury, in causing obstinate ulcers to heal, I do not mean to say, or insinuate, that it will in all cases of this ulcerated state of the throat or nose, be equally efficacious;