A treatise on the diseases of females / by William P. Dewees.

  • Dewees, William P. (William Potts), 1768-1841.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the diseases of females / by William P. Dewees. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    cury; but this remedy holds out but little prospect of success, unless there be present an unsubdued venereal taint. When cy are in the form of warts, and these very numerous, as is the case very often, nothing will succeed so well as keeping the, parts very dry, and exposed as much as possible to the air. 1 he lol- lowing case will illustrate this practice sufficiently. Mrs. , had been severely injured by her husband, who had given her the venereal disease in its most aggravated form; name- ly, chancres and buboes. About six months after she appeared to have recovered from these affections, she found a vast number of little tumours spread over the labia, the nymphae, and other portions of the vulva, which increased rapidly in number as well as augmented in size; from the whole surface of which there is- sued a disagreeable smelling matter which excited itching; and when the parts were rubbed, blood would follow. • The gentleman who had attended this patient for the venereal complaint, was called on again on account of the warts ; he pre- scribed mercury to salivation ; this was complied with ; but the little warty tumours increased to such an extent, that a severe bleeding would follow every attempt at conjugal enjoyment. We were now consulted. The whole vulva was found to be com- pletely occupied by these warty productions; and were almost without number, and of great variety of sizes. As we had treat- ed these productions in the male with success by exposing them to the air and keeping them perfectly dry, it was agreed, that our patient should follow this plan. The patient was ordered to bed, and the labia were kept sepa- rate, by means of adhesive plaster: this being done, the whole vestibulum, and crop of warts, were exposed. A quantity of prepared chalk was dusted upon the surface, and no other appli- cation was permitted, if we except the occasional washings with warm water, to remove the incrusted chalk ; that is, morning and evening. Tfais plan, though a little difficult of accomplishment succeeded iif about a fortnight to remove every excrescence so as not to leave a vestige behind. It was truly remarkable, to see how rapidly these parasite pro- ductions lost their lives, by depriving them of moisture. Thev would drop off in large portions at every bathing of the parts until all perished in turn. Besides the excrescences just noticed, these parts are subiect to prodigious enlargements; and sometimes require the knife for