Lectures on clinical surgery. Vol. I. Pt. I. On certain rare diseases of the skin / by Jonathan Hutchinson.

  • Jonathan Hutchinson
Date:
1878
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on clinical surgery. Vol. I. Pt. I. On certain rare diseases of the skin / by Jonathan Hutchinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    GENERAL STATEMENTS. Continent than with us I deduce from the fact that I find but few Continental surgeons willing to admit that it is contagious; whilst as to this fact few English observers can entertain any doubt, the evidence in favour of contagion of molluscum being almost as strong as it is in the case of scabies. The following are, I think, some of the statements which are true concerning this curious malady. It is one, let me observe, which stands remarkably alone, having, so far as we are aware, no relations, unless, indeed, in the future it should be proved that the verrugas of Peru (the plan of some authors) is an allied form. 1. The spots of molluscum contagiosum consist of en- larged and distended sebaceous glands. 2. It occurs, by preference, in certain positions, being more common on the eyelids and face than else- where. 3. Although showing preference for certain groups of glands, it may, in rare instances, become almost universal. 4. However general the eruption may be, it is never seen in the palms and soles (parts in which there are no sebaceous structures). 5. It does not in the slightest degree depend upon con- stitutional peculiarity, but occurs in the healthy and delicate alike; nor does it induce any material vations published on the subject by Scotch surgeons. About Ireland I do not know. It seems almost certain that Celsus (I am indebted to Mr. Wilson for the quotation) knew it well, and that it was pretty common amongst the Greeks. Report says that it is common in India. From the fact that it occurs so often on the eyelids, molluscum contagiosum may be inquired for at ophthalmic hospitals with even more success than at those for diseases of the skin. In 1828 Cazenave and Schedel wrote of it that it was a “ vei-y rare disease,” and that it did not appear to have been as yet observed in France.
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