262 ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



hazards in hand and arm injuries. Males are subject to 

 these causes more than females. But, many cases are found 

 in the females of child bearing period, from infected milk 

 ducts and fissured nipples, females also from depilatory 

 operations on the axilla, causing infections of the hair 

 follicles. Many cases arise from constitutional debility and 

 sedentary habits in persons who have thin loose skin and 

 brittle nails causing hang-nails, which make ideal focci of 

 infection. Gardners, farmers, carpenters and sportsmen 

 should be careful. Formerly surgeons had frequent axillary 

 infections, but since asepsis is more perfect we seldom see 

 a case in surgeons. 



Skin diseases cause many cases, such as ring worm, se- 

 borrheic, dermatitis, erythema, intertigo, eczema, scabies, 

 furunculosis. 



Primary infections may enter the axillary glands by di- 

 rect contusion, subjecting the glandular tissue to infectious 

 material such as traumatic injuries from punctures, gun 

 shot wounds and fractures about the shoulder joint. From 

 these sources any kind of pyogenic bacteria may enter. 

 Primary infections usually are more destructive to the 

 glands than secondary infections because the glands do 

 not have so much time to form their resistance. 



The exciting cause is bacterial, such as the pus forming 

 organisms, tubercle baccilus, baccilus malignant oedema 

 and others. 



The tissue changes in glands varies according to the 

 type of infection. Infection with the baccilus malignant 

 oedema may be described as a solid confused indurated 

 mass of vessels, connective and glandular tissue, without 

 much swelling. With the pus forming organisms there are 

 constant changes; gradual swelling and induration of the 

 whole gland and surrounding tissue, with whipcord con- 

 dition of lymphatic vessels to the gland involved. Cross 

 sections of the glands at first show simple induration, later 

 breaking down into pus and abscess formation. It is when 

 the gland becomes solid from induration that its function 

 of filtering and fighting power over bacteria ceases, and the 



