A practical compendium of the diseases of the skin ... with cases / by Jonathan Green.

  • Green, Jonathan, 1788?-1864.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A practical compendium of the diseases of the skin ... with cases / by Jonathan Green. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

    32/402 (page 12)
    as simple papulae, now as scaly papulae, and so on, is alto- gether unknown. The diagnosis or distinction of one disease of the skin from another is among the most important items in their study. Without this, how shall we prognosticate in regard to the pro- bable issue of the disease? what plan of treatment will it be proper to adopt? &c. The power to distinguish each disease of the skin from every other, supposes a previous acquaintance with the whole or greater number of these affections. But the neglect of all attempt on the part of writers generally to elu- cidate this part of the subject, is probably one great cause of the indifferent information commonly possessed, even by me- dical men, of diseases of the skin. So long as such general expressions as tettery, scorbutic, and scrofulous eruptions, scales, spots, rashes, &c. were the most definite terms employed when speaking of this class of complaints, certainty as to the species of disease described was unattainable, and progress in the knowledge of its nature and mode of cure impossible. The first point to be considered in each particular case is, the class of elementary lesion to which it belongs; in other words, to discover whether the eruption be exanthematous, vesicular, pustular, &c. This being done, the symptoms, pro- gress, and appearance of the species under consideration must then be contrasted with the small number of such affections as show themselves under the same, though variously modified, generic characters. When the elementary forms remain untouched, and the eruption has not passed its height, there is little difficulty in assigning to a particular case its proper place in the system, under the guidance of experience, in selecting the plan of treatment most likely to prove of avail, and in foreseeing the probable term and issue of the disease. But when the malady has existed for some time, and the original inflammatory form has given place to new and consecutive alterations, the case is very different, and the diagnosis is difficult in proportion to the extent and variety of these changes. Nevertheless, the