Prize essay on scrofula : submitted to the Medical Society of Tennessee, May 1846 / by W.L. Sutton.

  • Sutton, William Loftus, 1797-1862.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Prize essay on scrofula : submitted to the Medical Society of Tennessee, May 1846 / by W.L. Sutton. 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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    that little could be left to be learned; or if anything were left, that the hopes of success were faint indeed after they had failed. But the importance of the subject is so great, the benefit re- sulting from any improvement in correctness of views, either of the causes, pathology, or treatment, so widespread, that we are imperiously required to continue our research, not- withstanding all discouragements. Nothing was ever made by despair; on the other hand, circumstances which, upon full examination, have appeared utterly hopeless, have yet been retrieved by perseverance, aided by well-directed efforts. Jn this state of the case, not pretending to know more of the disease than my fellows—on the contrary, duly sensible of the difficulty of the undertaking, and of my own inability to do anything like justice to the subject, I yet propose to offer a few remarks upon this important disease. I do this because, although I am not able to offer any thing new respecting the com- plaint, yet if Hook at the subject in alight in any degree different from others, or even arrange my ideas in trains somewhat dif- ferent, even that may have the effect of stimulating the en- quiries of others, and good may result. I have reason to hope, then, from the difficulties admitted to belong to the sub- ject, and the liberal feelings of the profession, that this hum- ble effort of an obscure member of the profession may be re- ceived with indulgence. It not unfrequently happens that words, even professional words and phrases, are taken in very different lights by differ- ent members of the profession. Perhaps this is as true of Scrofula as of any other word or phrase. It is impor- tant, then, that each man delivering his opinions upon this subject should take some pains to show in what sense he un- derstands the term; and it is equally important that his read- ers should keep the writer's definition in view, else, whilst reading;, he may apply the terms to states of the system very different from that which the writer intended. I shall divide my subject into three heads, Scrofulous Dia- thesis, Scrofulous Affections, and Scrofula. I am fully sensi-