Observations on favus / by William Pirrie.

  • Pirrie, William, 1807-1882.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on favus / by William Pirrie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/32 (page 7)
    depression, in form like that of a lupine seed (porrigo lupinosa); but when numerous and confluent, they acquire, from contact with one another, a hexagonal or honeycomb appearance, and hence the term porrigo favosa. In the progress of developement, the edges of the crusts become prominent, and marked by several concentric rings, whilst their upper surfaces gradually lose the concave and assume the convex form. In course of time, there may be observed in the centre of each cap¬ sule a whitish spot, which slowly extends into the sur¬ rounding deeper yellow portion, and ultimately reaches the edges of the crusts, which gradually sink to the level of the skin, and frequently present numerous cracks or splits. There speedily commences in this central white portion a loss of coherency, or a process of crumbling down into a coarse gritty powder ; and when this, in the progress of the disease, has extended to the edges, the capsules lose all definite form, and become broken or split up into numerous pieces, presenting the appearance of one continuous crust irregularly fissured on the sur¬ face. The diseased mass crumbles down, and communi¬ cates to the fingers, on trituration, a feeling very aptly compared by some to that caused by the crushing of dried putty; becomes a favourite site for vermin and their eggs, and exhales a peculiar odour, which has been likened to that of cats or mice. For some time the di¬ sease occasions little uneasiness ,* but ere long the part affected becomes the seat of a disagreeable itching, which gradually increasing, at length becomes so intolerable