STRUCTURAL DISEASES. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE LIPS, CHEILITIS. 



: Causes of Cheilitis ; Local injuries ; poisoned ; envenomed ; secondary 

 disease. Symptoms : swellings ; salivation ; difficult prehension ; cracks ; 

 blisters ; ulcers ; indurations. Treatment : obviate causes ; astringents ; 

 antiseptics ; derivatives ; gravitation ; for venoms antacid ; antiseptic. 

 Iodine. 



Causes. Blows, pricks, wounds and bruises with bits or twitch, 

 and other mechanical and chemical irritants, irritant vegetables, 

 bites of leeches or snakes, stings of insects, etc. It may be a 

 skin disease dependent on disorder of some remote organ, or a 

 local engorgement due to a constitutional state. (See, Urticaria 

 Surfeit, Purpura hsemorrhagica, Variola, Strangles") . 



Symptoms. Swelling, stiffness, heat and tenderness of the 

 lips, with or without local abrasion, or incised or punctured 

 wound. Food may be entirely refused from inability to take it 

 in with the rigid tender lips, and saliva drivels from the mouth 

 because of their imperfect apposition. Cracks, blisters and raw 

 sores or ulcers may or may not supervene. In old standing cases 

 the lips become indurated and comparatively immobile. 



Treatment. Remove the cause whether irritants in food, or 

 drugs, sharp pointed bodies lodged in the tissues, injuries by bit, 

 twitch or otherwise. Local applications have comparatively lit- 

 tle effect, being promptly removed by the tongue, yet a lotion of 

 vinegar and honey ; — of borax 10 grains and honey or glycerine 

 i oz. ; — or of alum in a similar medium, will often prove useful. 

 A dose of laxative medicine will favor resolution, and if there is 

 great tumefaction, feeding thick gruels from high manger, and 

 tying to a high rack so as to prevent drooping of the head, will 

 favor recovery. In snake bites and stings the local application 

 of aqua ammonia and its administration internally (horse and 

 cow i oz. , sheep 2 dr. in 20 times its volume of water) should be 

 practiced ; or permanganate of potash :: 1 : 100 may be used. 



When the heat and tenderness subside, leaving much thicken- 

 ing and induration it may be repeatedly painted with a lotion of 

 one part of tincture of iodine in three parts of glycerine. 



5 



