62 ACCOUNT: of a DISTEMPER 



An extraordinary circumftance took place in two cafes which 

 came under my notice. One tefticle in each perfon was found 

 to be wafted away after the difeafe had ended ; fome particulars 

 of which lhall be mentioned in the fequel. 



The pathognomic figns of the mumps may be readily ga- 

 thered from the foregoing hiftory, and are the fame with little 

 variation. The characleriftic tumor under one or both ears, 

 involving the falivary glands, with more or lefs of a concomi- 

 tant fever, is the firfl. If the difeafe is mild, it foon ends by 

 a fpontaneous fweating from the furface of the tumor. If not, 

 that tumor (or tumors, if on both fides) fubfides fuddenly, 

 accompanied with a freih exacerbation of fever, and the tefti- 

 cles fwell. And here it alfo fometimes goes no further, but 

 terminates by a difcharge from the fkin covering thofe parts. But 

 if the teftes fuddenly fubfide, and a frefh exacerbation of fever 

 appear at the fame time, the brain is immediately affected, at- 

 tended by a train of terrible fymptoms, and death fometimes 

 ends the conflict. 



The mumps, fo far as my obfervations extended, appeared 

 generally confined to young men, from the age of puberty up- 

 wards to thirty years. Not many between thirty and forty 

 fell under my care. I never knew above one man of forty at- 

 tacked by this difeafe, and he fuffered feverely. Very few boys 

 were affected, and thofe had the diftemper mildly. 



I never faw any of the female fex above ten years old fubject 

 to this illnefs ; and thofe who fell under my care were not nu- 

 merous, and generally had the difeafe mildly. I do not remem- 

 ber one inftance of the mammae being affected. -I have, how- 

 ever, heard of this circumftance ; but cannot fpeak as to the 

 authenticity of my intelligence. But from what happens in 

 men, it is, from analogy, mofl natural to fuppofe, that the 

 ovaria are more likely to be affected than the mammas ; al- 

 though there is undoubtedly a wonderful fympathy be- 

 tween 



