A history of the erysipelatous inflammation that recently appeared in the Massachusetts General Hospital / by George Hayward.

  • Hayward, George, 1791-1863.
Date:
[1827?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A history of the erysipelatous inflammation that recently appeared in the Massachusetts General Hospital / by George Hayward. 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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    mattrass on which he had lain was so much injured that it was never used again in the house. 2. The subject of the second case, a healthy young man, was admitted'in consequence of a fracture of the tibia and fibula of the left leg just above the ankle. The accident occurred on the 8th of June, near the Hospital, and the pa- tient was brought immediately there. On the 12th there was some appearance of erysipelatous inflammation about the ankle, and on the lGth it had extended up the leg, and ap- peared also on the face about the left eye. The disease now rapidly spread, the face and whole head became enormously swollen, a black spot showed itself on the limb near the an- kle, and the patient was affected with a violent delirium. These symptoms were unabated till the 26th, when a fa- vourable change took place, and the inflammation gradually subsided, without the occurrence of sloughing. By the 1st of July the disease was nearly gone, but on the 11th there was a slight return, which continued a day or two only, for there was no vestige of it on the 1 6th ; he was discharged August 2d, perfectly well. It may be perhaps worth while to remark, that during the violence of the erysipelatous inflam- mation, there seemed to be no disposition whatever in the bones to unite. This patient occupied a ward on a story be- low the one in which the other patient died, and between the wards occupied by these patients there was no commu- nication. 3. On the 15th of June, a young man labouring under fever, was suddenly attacked with erysipelas, which appear- ed first in the face, and spread With great rapidity, affecting the eyelids to such an extent as to close the eyes complete- ly. He was delirious from the first appearance of the ery- sipelatous inflammation, and sunk under it on the 18th. He was of course under the care of the physician. 4. The next case occurred on the 21st of June, in a me-, dical patient, who was just recovering from a severe attack of continued fever, by which he was extremely reduced. The disease showed itself about the face and head, and the patient died on the fourth day after its appearance.