Cancer : its nature and treatment, with observations on certain diseases peculiar to women / by John Pattison, M.D.

  • Pattison, John.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cancer : its nature and treatment, with observations on certain diseases peculiar to women / by John Pattison, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    in the blood ; otherwise, every blow or every cause of irritation would produce it, which we know is not the case. The only cause that I am aware of that will produce it, even in a constitution where it did not previously exist, is the frequent application of such caustics as nitric acid and nitrate of silver, when long applied to a raucous surface, as the mouth, tongue, or neck of the womb. There are many forms of cancerous disease, as scirrhus, or stony cancer; medullary, or soft cancer, frequently called encephaloid, or brain-like cancer; epythihal, or superficial cancer; colloid, or the gelatinous form of the disease ; melanosis, or black cancer, and many others, known by different names; but all slight varieties of either the scirrhus, medullary, or the epythilial forms of the disease. In pursuance of my present purpose, I will confine my remarks only to two or three forms of this disease. The progress or growth of cancerous tumour may be divided into three stages: 1st. The disease appears as a small, movable tumour—if hard to the touch, it is of the kind denominated scirrhous; if soft, it assumes the sarcomatous form; or if epythilial, it appears, in the first instance, as a w^art, generally with a small neck (pedunculated). This latter exists in many cases for years, causing no apprehension— indeed, existing for a long time, unnoticed, until through some irritating cause, its malignant character becomes distinctly developed. This disease may remain in the primary stage for months, or even for vears, before it is noticed or attended to, as generally there is no pain, and nothing