Volume 1

The science and art of surgery : being a treatise on surgical injuries, diseases, and operations / by John Eric Erichsen.

  • Erichsen, John Eric, 1818-1896.
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The science and art of surgery : being a treatise on surgical injuries, diseases, and operations / by John Eric Erichsen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

    970/1026 (page 942)
    the lip, ^vhicli I ligatured at the Hospital some years ago, death appeared to result from this cause. One of the most formidable cases of neevus of the lip that T have ever had to do with, and in its results the most satisfactory, was sent to me scTcral years ago, by Budd of Barnstaple. The patient, a little girl five months old, was noticed at birth to have a red streak on the right side of the upper lip ; this rapidly developed into a large tumid purple ncevus, which, Avhen the case came under my observation, Avas about the size of a large Avalnut, involAung the whole of the structures of the lip, from the cutaneous to the mucous surfaces ; it was of a deep mulbeny colour, and extended from the median line of the lip to the angle of the mouth (Figs. 340,341). The integu- ments covering this growth were exceedingly thin, and the tumour itself was in the highest degree vascular and active. Excision appeared to be out of the question ; the hgature presented little to recommend it; injections Avith the perchloride of iron and the introduction of setons were successively tried, but neither of these means produced any effect on the tumour, which commenced to extend upwards into the nostril. I accordingly detennined on using caustics. Mtric acid was first employed ; but, as this did not produce suffi- ciently deep impression on the growth, I had recourse to the potassa cum calce. By means of this, the tumour was gradually removed ; the hEemorrhage Avhich occasionally resulted being restrained by pressure. Hotvdthstanding the amount of tissue destroyed, the resulting cicatrix was small, resembling that of a badly united hare-lip. Three years afterwards, the child was brought to me again, and I was much struck by the wonderful improvement that had taken place since the removal of the nmvus. The lip Avas smooth, the cicatrix in a great degnee worn out, and comparatHely little disfigurement was left in the countenance of an exceedingly pretty and engaging child. Finding, hoAvever, that the lip was still di’aAATi or tucked in by a very dense band of cicatricial tissue, AA'hich caused a deep depression of the ala on that side, I divided this, and the result was most satisfactoiy. ITsevus of the Tongue is of rare occurrence. I have, hoAvever, success- fully operated by means of the ecraseur in one case, in which the Avhole of the free extremity of the organ was involved (Fig. 342). The particular’s viU be found in Chapter LIX. IfEe-vi of the Organs of Genera- tion are occasionally met Avith in the female, but rarely in the male. The only instance of Nc&vus of the Penis Avith which I have met occuiTed in the case of a gentleman thirty-two years of age, who consulted me some years ago for a gi’OAvth of this kind, as large as a Avalnut, situated mider the reflexion of the pre- putial mucous membrane. It had existed for many years Avithout giving any annoyance, but, as it had of late begun to enlarge, and occasionally to bleed, he was desirous of having it Fig. 342.—Nicviis of Tongue.