Syphilitic pemphigus in the adult : is there such a disease? / by T. M'Call Anderson.

  • Anderson, McCall, 1836-1908.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Syphilitic pemphigus in the adult : is there such a disease? / by T. M'Call Anderson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    IN THE A D TJ L IS THERE SUCH A DISEASE? Tiieke is a form of eruption which occasionally attacks infants at or a few days after birth, and which consists of the formation of bullas on different parts of the body, but especially on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, the skin of these parts presenting a violet hue. The bullae burst, giving vent to sanious pus, and often leave ulcerations behind them. These children rapidly dwine away, and in the great majority of cases, espe¬ cially if no antisyphilitic treatment has been adopted, are carried off in a short space of time. There is a great dispute as to whether or not this eruption (.Pemphigus neonatorum) is syphilitic in its nature, and the result of a syphilitic taint in one or other of the parents. .There are many advocates for the view that it is syphilitic, amongst whom may be mentioned the names of Paul Dubois, Wichman, Jorg, Dughs, Stoltz, Cazenave, Depaul, Devergie, and Bicord, while Krauss, Gilibert, Bassereau, Bazin, Barnes, Cazeaux, and others, are arrayed against them on the opposite side. While I have myself no doubt of the syphilitic nature of the form of pemphigus just described, I do not intend at present to enter into the arguments in favour of such a view, as that is not the object of the present paper; and my reason for alluding to this point at all is, that one of the arguments adduced by some writers against the syphilitic nature of pemphigus neonatorum' is, that syphilitic pemphigus in the adult is never met with. It is to this inquiry, therefore, that I would now direct attention. In M. Diday’s work on infantile syphilis we find it stated, “ that syphilitic pemphigus in the adult is a rare affection, if it occur