1816.] [ 359 ] 



MONTHLY REPORT OF DISEASES in N. W. LONDON; 



From September 24, to October 24, 1816. 



THERE is no class of disorders more distressing than these arising from the abuse of 

 mercury administereil for foniphiints supposed to be syphilitic. Tlie effects of this 

 mineral vary in dili'erent constitutions, as xvill be seen by the two subjoined cases. The 

 first of them is generally curable by bleeding; the other with difiiculty relieved by any 

 plan of treatment yet discovered, and often quite incurable. ^ 



I was desired to see, as an object of charity, a poor man lon^ confined to his bed, 

 and supposed to be dying; thatopinion bavins; been pronounced by a medical man ia 

 attendance npon liira. I found him labouring under hectic fever, colliqu.itive perspi- 

 rations, worn down by long continued discharge from several extensive, painful, and fcetidi 

 ulcerations of the face, forehead, and hairy scalp. A portion of his nose was destroyed, 

 ^ rapidly encreasing plia;;;edenic ulcer had eroded a part of his lip, the arteries o^ 

 which had given way, and had evacuated a pint of blood, to the terror of the bye- 

 standers; he had also an ulcer on the arm, similar in appearance to that upon the 

 face. It appeared on enquiry, this man had been kept under the influence of mercury 

 for the space of five months, from erroneous notions, as I conceived, of the nature of 

 a foiDier complaint — and the ulcerations broke out, after the constiaition had 

 been really exhausted, by the eiiects of the remedy. I had no hesitation in ascribing 

 the symptoms to their proper source, aud as confidently promised the lecovery of the 

 patient, in spite of the melancholy presages of my predecessor. 



Notwithstanding the debility of the patient was so great, as to make the proposal of 

 bleediuK alarming to him, his confidence enabled him lo submit, and I caused a pint 

 of blood to be immediately taken from the arm; it bore strong appearances of intlam- 

 matiou, and was followed by manifest relief. Before my next visit he was sironger, 

 the ulcers had assimied a healthier appearance, and were less painful. In short, bleed- 

 ing was had recourse to at intervals, for the space of three months, at the end of 

 which time not a vestige of ulceration remained. The inward mcdicise employed 

 was, nitrate of potash ; an application to the sores was composed of sulphate of zinc, 

 superacetate of lead, and lapis calaminaris, in the proportion of one scruple of eacU 

 to a pint of cold water. 



The next case is of the same origin, though of a more painful and formidable 

 nature. Of this species, I am sorry to say, I have frequent examples in my prac- 

 tice ; but I cannot present a more complete specimen than from a letter of consulta- 

 tion from a country correspondent, now before me, the words of which I transcribe. 



" About ten years ago I had an ulcer which formed on my upper lip, and spread itself 

 on the roof of my mouth to my throat, which continued ulcerated for some mouths; I 

 had a violent pain in my side aud loins, and a breaking out all over my body, witU 

 spots of a violet colour. I applied to two gentlemen of the facidty, one of wlioia 

 said he believed it to be a venereal affection, and prescribed mercury to be taken ia 

 pills, and rubbed into my thighs; in about a fortnight the spots disappeared, and the 

 pains ceased. About four months after, I had violent pains in my arms and legs, 

 (though I had continned the medicine for more than six weeks,) and haid swellings 

 formed on one of my shin bones. I applied to another of the faculty, who again re- 

 peated a severe salivation, which gave a temporary relief; they again returned, bnt 

 were chiefly confined to my head. I continued taking mercury for upwards of eighteea 

 mouths without making any change ; I took it both in [)ills and a liquid form in drops ; 

 during this time I tried sea-bathing and the Buxton baths, the latter gave me consi- 

 derable relief for a time. In the summer of ISIO, I again took the solutian of mer- 

 cury, twenty drops three times a-day, and in a few weeks the pain in my head eutire'v 

 •ubsided, and [ continued perfectly fice from them, and enjoy wl a good state of 

 health for more ihaii two years, my strength regularly encreased, and 1 became rather 

 lusty. In Jainiary 181.S, a similar pain came in ray head, aud small lumps rose in dif- 

 ferent parts of it, it settled into one side of my inider jaw, a salivation was again tried, 

 but without effect. I suffered greatly tor two months, when a sliell came off the oui- 

 »ide of my jaw. aird the pain ceased there, yet still continued in different parts of my 

 head. Icontinued to take tire solution at times; in November 1814, it beiiaii in my 

 left arm, between the shoulder and elbow; 1 then applied to a fourth medical gcirtje- 

 man, who was of opinion that the pains proceeded from the quantity of nifrcury 

 taken, and ordered me the decoction of woods, which I took at tui:es, for six months; 

 during this time both my legs and thighs were attacked with the pains, aud 1 had not 

 a. free part from my hips to my toes, nor froiu my shoulders to my linger-ends, aud a 

 fcinip formed on each of my thighs. I was ordered to the sea-air, but all to no purpose. 

 lu this situation 1 have dragged a most miseruhle existence; 1 git very little sliep but 

 what is forced upon nic by opi.ites; I have no couj:h nor any internal pain, and nry ap- 

 petite i8 tolerably good; and 1 am able to walk about a iitrle, though my liniijs are 

 very weak." John Want, 



H, Awr/r Crescent, BcJ/oid S'juare. Late Surgeon tu the Northern Dispensary. 



