Further observations on the use of nitric acid as an escharotic, in vascular tumours of the rectum / by John Houston, M.D.

  • Houston, John, M.D.
Date:
[1844]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Further observations on the use of nitric acid as an escharotic, in vascular tumours of the rectum / by John Houston, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    19/24 (page 47)
    The woman was subsequently treated just as she had been after the other operations ; and she stated that the pain from the application was neither so intense nor so long con- tinued as it had been after the application of the acid. There was a little soreness and tumefaction in the part for some days, but when the woman remained quiet she felt easy, and on the third day she had a full evacuation .after an oil and senna draught. From the day of the application of the cau- tery, the bowels came down no more, the haemorrhage ceased, and the woman began to improve in health. She left hos- pital on the 24th February, and on the 12th March, when she came back to shew herself, she had so much improved in health that I did not, at first sight, know her. She had no bleeding whatever, no prolapse, no pain, and no discharge of any kind from the rectum. She had altogether lost the head-aches and palpitations, and had greatly im- proved in strength. She said she was quite cured; and had resumed her usual business. Observations.—Cases of this description will, if looked for, be found to be more common than is supposed. Indeed the form of disease, of which the above examples may be re- garded as extremes in severity, would appear to be that into which the mucous membrane of the lower end of the rectum is prone to run when long irritated by congestion or pro- lapse, and usually goes by the name of internal piles. The destruction of the vascular surface by the nitric acid stops the haemorrhage, and if the relaxation be not immoderate, cures the prolapse by bracing up the textures underneath. But, it must not be forgotten that the cure by such means is only the beginning of an end. A course of dietary and of exercise must be instituted in conjunction with it, the very opposite of that under which the disease sprung up and got head, aided by cleanliness and appropriate topical and gene- ral medicines. It will have been observed that, in the reports of the