The disease is compatible with perfect health; and even when there was
any departure from the normal there was no reason to suppose that the
abnormality was in any way connected with the skin lesions, while the
majority of the patients had above the average health for their age.
While there appears to be no tendency in the disease to spontaneous
involution, they are not, as the case narratives show, altogether
rebellious to treatment, and in at least two cases a cure appears to
have been effected and in others some improvement, while in a residue no
improvement could be noted. The agents which appeared to have a good
effect are salicin in 15-grain doses at least three times a day, which
by itself entirely cured a recent case (Case 5) of only two months’
duration and of rather acute development, and vasogen iodine 10 per
cent. rubbed in is a useful supplement and materially aided in the cure
of Case 4. In some cases, salicin has failed to make any marked
impression on the lesions, while in others the patient has not gone on
with it sufficiently long to test its merits. As might be expected, it
has been most successful when the disease has been present for a short
time.
The only female case, a lady aged 47 years, resembled the other cases in
its gradual evolution, long duration, absence of itching, in the
persistence of the old patches with continual evolution of new ones, in
its limitation to the covered parts, and in the general good health of
the patient. The differences were in the patches being distinctly scaly
all over the body; though the scales were small and even powdery in most
parts of the body, they were, as usual, rather larger and more abundant
on the legs. The patches were also more decidedly red than in the other
cases; while there was some spontaneous improvement in the summer, in
winter the patches cracked and smarted. This patient, who had been
affected with the disease for ten years, had had the most varied drug
and spa treatment, including cacodylate of soda injections for three
months without any material effect; but after nine exposures to the
Röntgen rays, the part exposed entirely cleared up, while the disease
was unchanged on the inner side of the leg which the rays had not
reached. I intend, therefore, to make use of the rays wherever
practicable.
As regards to _etiology_, it is chiefly negative. There is a large
preponderance of males, and all the cases have been over 20 years old,
while 56 years is the oldest I have met with. In no case could an
exciting cause be made out; two of the patients had had syphilis, but it
did not appear to have any etiological importance, and in one of them
antisyphilitic treatment was tried vigorously for twelve months without
effect.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account