Syphilitic lesions of the osseus system in infants and young children / by R.W. Taylor.

  • Taylor, R. W.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Syphilitic lesions of the osseus system in infants and young children / by R.W. Taylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

    23/192
    Case III.—Mary J. came imder my observation on the twentieth of October, 1871. She was then about two months old. Her mother was found to be syphilitic, and bad been in- fected about six months; that is, in the fifth month of preg- nancy. Her lesions were of a severe character, and she seemed very much debilitated. She had been treated for syphilis for about three months, but not very actively. She stated that shortly after the child's birth, it had had a dark rash, which had continued to exist, and that its mouth had been very sore, and that it was very restless at night, seeming to be in pain. Upon examination I found that the child was quite well developed, and tolerably fat. The eruption alluded to was a roseola, which had become coppery in tint, and was evidently declining. There were two mucous patches in the month, and a condyloma latum upon the margin of the anus. Upon examining closely the various bones of the body, I found that several of them were the seat of enlargement. At each wrist there was a very evident swelling, which began abruptly from the shaft of the bone, and then attaining a height of about three-quarters of an inch, having a smooth surface, merged into the expanded and enlarged epiphyses. The swellings were perfectly symmetrical in size, and an examination of them gave the impression that both bones were welded together with an encircling tissue. At the lower end of the shafts of the tibia and fibula a similar condition was found. Here, however, the swelling was less abrupt from the shaft, and the enlargement of the epiphyses was much more considerable in comparison. Both bones seemed to be joined together inseparably; in fact, at their two ends they had a somewhat quadrangular shape, and their sur- faces were smooth. Each malleolus could be clearly made out, at its lowermost part, as normal in shape; consequently the process had only involved its upper part. No other bones seemed to be involved. The mother was unable to give a history of these bony tumors. She had not recognized those of the wrists, probably owing to the fatty tissue, but she thought that the condition of the ankles was not natural. The movements of the arms and legs were apparently performed normally. I ordered for this child five drops of the mixed treatment three times a day; but I only saw it once after, and then, as but three weeks had elapsed, no apparent change had been produced.