EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY MEDICINE 



the secretion of milk is much lessened. Inflamed 

 spots now begin to appear on different parts of the 

 hands of the domestics employed in milking, and 

 sometimes on the wrists, which run on to suppuration, 

 first assuming the appearance of the small vesications 

 produced by a burn. Most commonly they appear 

 about the joints of the fingers and at their extremities ; 

 but whatever parts are affected, if the situation will 

 admit the superficial suppurations put on a circular 

 form with their edges more elevated than their centre 

 and of a color distinctly approaching to blue. Ab- 

 sorption takes place, and tumors appear in each ax- 

 illa. The system becomes affected, the pulse is quick- 

 ened ; shiverings, succeeded by heat, general lassitude, 

 and pains about the loins and limbs, with vomiting, 

 come on. The head is painful, and the patient is now 

 and then even affected with delirium. These symp- 

 toms, varying in their degrees of violence, generally 

 continue from one day to three or four, leaving ulcer- 

 ated sores about the hands which, from the sensibility 

 of the parts, are very troublesome and commonly heal 

 slowly, frequently becoming phagedenic, like those 

 from which they sprang. During the progress of the 

 disease the lips, nostrils, eyelids, and other parts of 

 the b ody are sometimes affected with sores ; but these 

 evidently arise from their being heedlessly rubbed or 

 scratched by the patient's infected fingers. No erup- 

 tions on the skin have followed the decline of the fe- 

 ll symptoms in any instance that has come under 

 my inspection, one only excepted, and in this case a 

 very few appeared on the arms : they were very minute, 

 of a vivid red color, and soon died away without ad- 



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