39^ ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



the cutting off the forcfldn, previous to 

 every application or courfe of medicine, 

 ^■'^ Alexander Wood (now one of the fur- 

 geons to the Royal Infirmary} was em- 

 ployed for this operation. 



He cut off the whole of the prepuce, 

 which was fcirrhous, full of fliankers and 

 ■waits, when the glans appeared cover- 

 ed over with fungous excrefcences, which 

 ga\e ir much the appearance of a fmall 

 collyflower ; fo far as it was poffible, 

 the fcalpel and fciffars were alfo employ- 

 ed for their extirpation ; but they were fo 

 numerous, had in general fuch broad 

 bafes, and were fo deeply rooted, it was 

 impoffible to do much more in this way 

 than to take off their tops. What remain- 

 ed, therefore, was left to be taken off by 

 cauftic ; and accordingly, the red pre- 

 cipitate was ufed for fome days w^ith 

 fuccefs J but afterwards it did not appear 

 that they decreafed in the leaft; on the 

 contrary, they fecmed to grow larger, and 

 with the additional vexatious circum- 

 flance of their becoming hard and hor- 

 ny. 



