Tattooing as a means of communicating syphilis : an investigation of twenty-two cases exposed to inoculation with the virus of mucous patches, in fifteen of which syphilis followed / by F.F. Maury and C.W. Dulles.

  • Maury, F. F. (Francis Fontaine), 1840-1879.
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Tattooing as a means of communicating syphilis : an investigation of twenty-two cases exposed to inoculation with the virus of mucous patches, in fifteen of which syphilis followed / by F.F. Maury and C.W. Dulles. 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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    About the middle of June—at a time when be was under treatment in the Philadelphia Hospital for traumatic orchitis, but otherwise well he was tattooed by Kelly on the flexor aspect of the left forearm. The figure was that of a cross upon which was a wreath and a heart. The pigments, coal-dust and vermilion, were mixed with fresh water. Following the operation there was some soreness of the arm, lasting two days, and enlargement of the axillary lymphatic glands. Both these subsided readily. Three days previous to this tattooing Kelly had put on the flexor aspect of his right forearm the figure of a crucifix, with a background of two oriental looking buildings on the radial side, and on the ulnar a small tree. This time the same pigments were moistened with Kelly's saliva. The arm became much inflamed, and the next day a gland above the internal condyle of the humerus and one in the axilla were enlarged; of these the former subsided soon. The local soreness lasted three days, but required no treatment. About five weeks later, at a point upon the trunk of the tree alluded to, appeared two papules—which he compares to mosquito- bites. These developed into pustules, with indurated bases, burst and coalesced, leaving an elevated suppurating surface, about three-fourths of an inch in diameter, with a distinct areola, which he treated, himself, with cosmoline and iodoform. About this time the bubo in the axilla suppurated and discharged spontaneously. About ten weeks after the tattooing, and five or six after the appearance of the sore just described, he had a short period of feverishness and indisposition, and then appeared a papular syphiloderm, accompanied or followed by a fissure of the right angle of the mouth. At the time of our examination he has papules on his scalp, back, arms, penis, scrotum, nates, legs, palms, and soles, as well as between his toes. The number on his palms is very remarkable. On the cutaneous surface of his prepuce are papules, closely resembling hard chancres, while on the mucous surface are ulcerations simulating chancroids. The fissure of the right angle of the mouth persists. He is suffering from a balanitis and gonorrhoea contracted recently. He has post-cervical adenitis, and is in a very much poorer general physical condition than he ever was before the tattooing was done. Case XVI—Frederick R., set. 21, Am., brickmaker; examined in the Philadelphia Hospital September 25; gives a good family history; lias been of tolerably steady habits; many years ago had an inguinal bubo, from over-walking; four years ago had gonorrhoea, from which lie inocu- lated his left eye with gonorrhoeal ophthalmia, resulting in its almost total destruction. About the end of May he was tattooed by Kelly. On the dorsal aspect of the left forearm was placed a dancing girl, and near it a cross, heart, and anchor. On the inner side of the upper arm was placed a goddess of liberty on an eagle. The pigments, India ink and vermilion, were mixed with Kelly’s saliva. The day following his arm was much inflamed, and a bubo formed in the axilla. Both the inflammation and the bubo passed away in a few days. A gland below the inner condyle of the humerus now became enlarged and painful, and then subsided. Four weeks from the date of tattooing there appeared two swellings, one above the right knee and one on the left foot of the figure of the dancing girl. These he compares to a boil, with pus at the apex. They itched, were scratched, and crusts formed upon them. Later, appeared a fissure of the left angle of his mouth, and papules on his tongue, penis, and scrotum, and about his anus, as well as one or two on his left palm and one on his