PAPERS ON MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 261 



AXILLARY GLAND INFECTIONS AND THEIR 

 TREATMENT 



John 0. Cletcher, M. D., Cisco 



The purpose of this brief paper is for the prevention of 

 local and constitutional disease and the conservation and 

 treatment of the axillary glands. Although there has been 

 little written on axillary gland disease, it is most interest- 

 ing from a health and medical standpoint. Probably no 

 group of lymphatic glands, except the cervical, are called 

 upon as frequently to stop the progress of infection bound 

 vascularwards, as the axillary glands. In fact, they do their 

 work so well and so infrequently become dangerously in- 

 volved in ratio to the numerous infections of the upper ex- 

 tremity, scapular regions and outer chest wall, and mamma 

 that their presence is only realized when they become in- 

 volved. (The public is much entitled to a fair conception 

 of the hygienic and preventive measures.) This group of 

 glands is slightly protected from infected wounds of the 

 areas of their lymph channels drain. There are some 

 small glands in the arm and fore-arm (these are often mis- 

 sing), and the epitrochlear of the elbow are the only nodes 

 to delay infections entering directly into these glands. 

 The so-called "Kernels under the arm" are of frequent oc- 

 currence and at first are taken lightly by the patient, es- 

 pecially if they are not having intense pain at the focus of 

 the infection. As long as the glands are not swollen and 

 painful neither the patient nor the physician feels anxious ; 

 but when chill and pain appear, and the red streaks form 

 in the skin between the focus and the axillary glands, radi- 

 cal treatment of the infected area should be maintained 

 and assistance should be given the glands in arresting the 

 progress. 



We have both the acute and chronic infections, but in 

 the chronic infections we have more time for study and 

 treatment ; therefore only the acute conditions can be con- 

 sidered here. 



The etiology is clear but extensive. Predisposed by age 

 we find more cases in the young and in the laboring classes 

 who are most active, certain occupations incurring special 



