Cases illustrative of diseases of the ear / by T. M'Call Anderson.

  • Anderson, McCall, 1836-1908.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases illustrative of diseases of the ear / by T. M'Call Anderson. 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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    Miss D., aged about 18, was brought to me on the 24th June, 1861. At the age of 18 months she had scarlet fever, with severe throat affection. While the throat was inflamed, she was seized with pain in the left ear, followed in a few days by discharge, with relief to the pain. The discharge had continued ever since. Five years previous to my seeing her, she noticed a little growth in the'ear which was cut twice without improvement, and an injection was used, which produced no good effect. On examination of the left ear, the tick was faintly audible when the watch was pressed firmly against the ear, more dis- tinctly when it was placed on the temple, and still more so when on the mastoid process. She had often been troubled with sore throat since the attack of scarlatina; and three months before she consulted me, the left tonsil suppurated. The tonsils were noticed to be slightly enlarged, especially the left. A large, firm, fibrous polypus, divided by a fissure into two segments, was seen pro- jecting, close to the orifice of the meatus, which extended deep into the ear and appeared to be attached to its posterior wall. On pressing the polypus inwards, the patient complained of uneasy sensations and lightness of the head. The meatus was much dilated by the growth, and the eustachian tube was impervious. June 26th.—The polypus was firmly grasped by a pair of common dressing forceps, and, by giving the instrument a turn, readily extracted. (See fig. 6, C.) The bleeding was pretty considerable, but was checked by the injection of tepid water into the ear. The tick of the watch was then heard at the distance of 2 inches from the ear. 28th.—On examining the ear, the discharge was much less, the meatus very much dilated ; no trace of polypus detected, mem- brana tympani gone, ossicles invisible, old red granulations in. the cavity of the tympanum, eustachian tube impervious. A blister was ordered behind the ear, and an injection of nitrate of silver (gr. v. to the §i. of water). . July 5th.—Discharge much less ; blister did not rise well; eustachian tube still impervious. Tick of watch heard at the distance of 3 inches. Granulations in the cavity of the tympa- num touched with a solution of nitrate of silver (3i. to the gi. ot water). To increase the strength of the injection from 5 to 10 grains to the ounce of water, and to repeat the blister behind the ear, and keep the surface raw with sabine ointment. 19th.—Discharge all but gone. Injection and blisters to be continued till the discharge quite gone, and then to return to have an artificial drum introduced. I had no opportunity of applying the artificial drum, as the patient did not return. I think that in all probability, the hearing would have been slightly improved