The thirty-first edition, revised, of an essay on the nature and cure of scrofulous disorders, commonly called the king's evil : deduced from long observation and practice, with additions, and above sixty cases : the remedies in them used, and occasional remarks, to which is prefixed a plate of the herb vervain, and its root / by the late John Morley.

  • Morley, John, -1776.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The thirty-first edition, revised, of an essay on the nature and cure of scrofulous disorders, commonly called the king's evil : deduced from long observation and practice, with additions, and above sixty cases : the remedies in them used, and occasional remarks, to which is prefixed a plate of the herb vervain, and its root / by the late John Morley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    wish you may be so fortunate as to direct somewhat that may be serviceable; and am, Sir, Richard Hawes, Surgeon, in Cavendish, Suffolk. August 23,1761. Mrs. Brown was a fat lusty woman, aged twenty-seven. About a year before the above date, a large tumor arose in her right breast, and gathered in nine different places, opened, dressed, and tented by the surgeon, and discharged much : but that being thought insufficient to lessen the breast, two setons were made quite through the breast, which were very large, close to the ribs, in the form of a cross, and as the silk rotted away, through the virulence of the matter, in eight or ten days, more silk was put in. Four surgeons met to take off the breast, and told her, if it was not taken off, she could not live till Michaelmas following; as her breast would rot off in a week or two, if not cut off. This was the state of the breast when 1 undertook it. The 30th of November following, I saw Mrs. Brown; all the ulcers were healed; and the breast firm, and herself in good health and spirits, without any complaints whatever. February the 27th, 1762, she was with me again, and showed me her right breast, sound and firm, but told me, that about three weeks before, on taking cold, she felt a dash- ing pain in her left breast, which she showed me; there was a smooth soft tumor rising on the upper part, about the nipple, which had increased fast. I ordered her proper remedies for this new complaint. April the 4th, her husband came to tell me the tumor was broke, and discharged in several places round the nipple. I ordered what was proper, and September the 6th following, her husband came again ; and told me her breast had been quite well for two months; was in good health and spirits; no complaint at all; and that the day before he came, she was delivered of a fine girl, both very well. I saw her some days after, examined her right breast, which had lost the nipple, all continued firm and well; and also her left breast, but she had no milk in it, and no complaint whatever. Mrs. Brown had twins in a year after, and has had several other children: both breasts continue well and firm, and the last lying-in she had milk came into her left breast, which is very extraordinary. It is easy to observe from this case, that taking off Mrs. Brown's right breast would have availed nothing, inasmuch as the left breast became disordered in the same manner. So that amputations are of little service, except the con- stitution be amended ; then there is seldom occasion for the knife. I do not mention the method I used in Mrs. Brown's case, because they are beyond common management. Mrs. Brown had had twenty-two children, twins the last time; and, I hear, is with child again (this September, 1775), and continues well to this day. I insert the two following cases to show that no age is exempt from this dreadful disorder.