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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    2{> polypus is seen to have been left, the snare should again be used. In the after-treatment of these cases the patient should be directed to wash out the meatus night and morning with tepid water and to use an injection, of which from 3 to 10 grains ot the nitrate of silver to the gi. of water, is probably the best Ihe above method of treatment I have never found to fail m the extirpation of a polypus when it was properly carried out by the patient, and when the operation was carefully executed, and I believe it to be equally applicable to every variety of polypus of the ear. , . . There are different methods of treatment recommended by authors for the removal of different varieties of polypi. _ Thus Toynbee recommends the use of a little instrument which he names the lever-ring forceps, * and which is used by him for the removal of the raspberry cellular polypus. It seems a very good, though a very expensive, instrument; but I cannot speak of it from personal experience, being so well satisfied with the performances of the snare above alluded to. For the removal of the fibrous polypus a pair of small dressing forceps is often used, and a case in which they were employed is narrated further on; but the snare serves the purpose equally well. Those, how- ever, who are inclined to use dressing forceps, must remember that they are only applicable for the removal of the tougher forms of polypi, as the cellular growths at once give way on attempting to pull them out. Caustics are sometimes relied upon alone for the destruction of these growths; but they are only applicable to the cellular varieties, and are even in these cases much inferior to the snare. Those most in use are the potassa cum calce—much employed by Toynbee for the removal of the raspberry cellular polypus, before he adopted the lever-ring forceps—solid nitrate of silver, and saturated solutions of the bichromate of potash. Astringent solutions are often employed; but, excluding ex- ceptional cases, they can only be of service as adjuvants to other treatment, unless their use be continued for a lengthened period of time, and in a concentrated form. They are absolutely useless in the case of fibrous polypi. The preparations most in vogue are the sulphate and acetate of zinc and the acetate of lead, varying in strength from 5 up to 60 grains to the gi. of water. _ Blisters behind the ears are sometimes to be recommended, in cases of old standing, not so much for the purpose of curing the disease, as for preventing any disagreeabk effects from fol- lowing upon the abrupt cessation of a long-continued discharge. * For a description of this instrument see Mr. Toynbee's work on Diseases of the Ear, page 89.