A monograph on diseases of the breast : their pathology and treatment, with special reference to cancer.

  • Williams, W. Roger (William Roger)
Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A monograph on diseases of the breast : their pathology and treatment, with special reference to cancer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    and endeavours should be made to rectify any derangement. In the event of the catamenia being retarded or suppressed, pil. aloes et ferri ok pil. aloes et myrrhce may be prescribed ; and when molimina are felt, the hot pediluvium with mustard at night may be serviceable, or the spinal ice bag may be tried. All forms of sexual excitement increase the morbid tend- ency, and must therefore be avoided. With this object an- aphrodisiac medicines, bromides and unstimulating regimen are indicated, together with saline aperients. Inasmuch as the influence of pregnancy on the progress of the disease is almost invariably highly prejudicial, marriage should be avoided. Iodine and its compounds have been more frequently employed than any other remedy both externally and internally. In the early stage of the disease compression is the best local treat- ment. A convenient way of effecting this is to cover the breast with a thin film of absorbent wool, and then to paint iodized collodion ^^ freely and rapidly over it. Compression by ban- daging, whether with ordinary calico bandages or elastic webbed ones, generally proves too irksome to be kept up, on account of its interference with the respiratory movements, and the same objection applies to strapping. To overcome this difficulty special forms of breast compressors have been de- vised, of which the best are Arnott's and Duke's.*^^ When the disease is associated with pregnancy, it has been recommended by Fingerhuth, that attempts should be made to excite lactation artificially by repeated suction of the nipples, &c. I am not aware that the favourable results thus obtained by him have been endorsed by others. In Monod's''^ case it was ineffective. If after trial of these remedies, the disease continues to progress, and the enlarged part becomes troublesome from its '- Iodine, jiot. iod. aa, gr. xx. ; collodion, ^j. •' For description of these vide Ch. xxv. Bull et Mein.de la Soc. de Chir., 1891, p. 738.