VOL. XXXIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 97 



An extraordinari/ Case of Tumours. By Mr. Joseph Atkinson, Sen. Surgeon. 

 N° 389, P- 340. 



A maiden, about 20 years of age was brought to Mr. A. about Christmas 

 1723; having a tumour on the inside of her right thigh, extending from the 

 groin to the knee, which was so large, that it seemed to contain at least the 

 quantity of a gallon : the cutis was exceedingly distended, but of the natural 

 colour, only, the capillary veins appeared varicous, and very numerous. She 

 had also a large tumour on the buttock of the same side, of the size of a 

 quartern loaf; but when the tumour on the thigh was pressed, the tumour 

 above very much increased, which showed a communication, and it proved after- 

 wards to be so. She had also another tumour on her right side, stretching 

 from the left side of the vertebras of the back to the hypochondrium, about 

 the size of a penny loaf Her body was very much emaciated, and she could 

 hardly breathe, and the little victuals she eat very difficultly passed out of the 

 stomach. She had had the menses but twice or thrice, viz. about 12 months 

 before the beginning of those tumours ; and it is to be remarked, that the 

 tumour of her thigh began first, and increased to near its full magnitude, 

 before the tumour of the buttock and hip began; after that, the tumour of 

 her back began, which, as it increased, brought on great difficulty in breathing. 

 She had been with several other persons, who advised against opening the 

 tumour of her thigh, most of them being of the opinion it was from blood, 

 and that her case was incurable. Mr. A. was of a contrary opinion; but being 

 told what so many others had said, he declined meddling with it at that time, 

 though her parents and herself wished it. At this time he dismissed her, say- 

 ing, that if she lived, a little time would discover more of her case. 



About 2 months after, he was desired to visit her again, when the tumours 

 were so monstrously increased, and her body so wasted, that he wondered she 

 could live under such circumstances. The tumour of the thigh was every way 

 yielding to the pressure of the finger ; nor was there the least hardness about 

 its extremities; so that it might be easily mistaken for an aneurism, had it not 

 wanted the grand characteristic, pulsation, which some say is not to be felt 

 when those are very large; the middle of this then looked a little red, and 

 shining, and seemed to point a little. He told them it would probably break 

 with a small orifice, and show what was contained, willing them to notify it to 

 him, if such a thing happened. Three days after they called him in haste to 

 the patient, saying, the swelling of her thigh was broke. He found there had 

 been discharged a small quantity of purulent substance, much like what is con- 



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