The treatment of venereal disease and scabies in the army : report.

  • Great Britain. Army Medical Department. Advisory Board for Army Medical Services.
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The treatment of venereal disease and scabies in the army : report. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    (3.) Cleanliness. (4.) Professional secrecy is maintained. (5.) Rapidity of action. (6.) Less time in hospital. Disadvantages:— (]..) Those common to all forms of mercurial administration, but in a less degree. (2.) Pain. This is the one real objection to the method; it varies considerably according to the patient, the preparation used, and the manner in which the injection is made. Accidents such as pulmonary embolism, abscess, gangrene, &c., are rare now and were due to faulty technique in the early days. Unsuitable cases.—Patients who are about to travel and cannot be seen at least once a week, very sensitive people, cases suffering from nephritis or marked cachexia; these require special care in whatever form mercury is administered. Special indications for the injection method :— (1.) When a rapid therapeutic effect is desired. (2.) Syphilis of the central nervous system. (3.) In hot climates where the gastro-intestinal system is more liable to be upset by the oral administration of mercury. Soluble Salts. Advantages.—Any desired quantity of mercury can bo introduced daily and is rapidly absorbed, its effects can be watched and the dose modiffed to suit each case. They are specially useful in cases requiring frequent small doses, e.g.:— (1.) Tubercular cases. (2.) In extensive caries. (3.) Oases in which the liver or kidneys are not acting well. (4.) In young children, who tolerate injections of soluble salts better. (5.) In eye cases. (6.) In debilitated people. A greater quantity of mercury can be injected in a given time liy using soluble salts. Inflammatory reactions are rare, and pain, always variable, is less marked than with insoluble salts. Disadvantages.—The great objection is the necessity of daily administra- tion, resulting in waste of time to the surgeon and the patient, and a frequent recurrence of more or less pain. Imoluhle Salts. The object in using insoluble salts is to introduce into the system, at definite intervals, a quantity of mercury, which shall act as a supply depot and be gradually but continually absorbed. Advantages.—(I.) Fewer injections required. (2.) No waste of time for the surgeon or patient. (3.) Inexpensive. Disadvantages.—(I.) Should mercurial poisoning take place it is impossible to get rid of the mercury in the body. This rarely happens if the method is carefully carried out, (2.) Pain. Grey oil causes little pain. (3.) Absce.ss is generally the result of sepsis. (4.) Nodes are usually small and not painful. (5.) Inflammatory reaction, this only occurs after the use of calomel, never after grey oil. Contra-indications.—(1.) Kidney or liver disease, albuminuria. (2.) Bad caries of teeth. (3.) Very old or cachetic people. Cardiac cases and well-nouidshed diabetics tolerate insoluble injections well. u 32183, Soluble salts. Special indi- cations for soluble .salts. Insoluble salts.