Evolution and disease (1890) (14763759322)

Identifier: evolutiondisease00blan (find matches)
Title: Evolution and disease
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Bland-Sutton, John, Sir, 1855-1936
Subjects: Diseases Medical genetics Abnormalities, Human Animals Disease Congenital Abnormalities
Publisher: New York : Scribner & Welford
Contributing Library: Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
Digitizing Sponsor: Open Knowledge Commons and Harvard Medical School



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d leprous tubercles inrabbits and dogs, but the results have not been confirmedby others who have repeated his experiments. Thelatest contribution to this subject is by Dr. Beaven Rake,Superintendent of the Trinidad Leper Asylum. Thepossibility of causing leprosy by inoculation has occu-pied his attention during four years. He has performedfifty-four experiments, some being the direct introductionof the diseased tissues from man into the subcutaneoustissues of guinea-pigs and rabbits, and by feeding fowlson leprous material. In all cases the experiments failedto produce constitutional leprosy. 272 EVOLUTION AND DISEASE, Leprosy is distinguished anatomically by the forma-tion of nodules or tubercles in the skin, mucous mem-branes and underlying tissues. When the skin is affectedthe hands, feet, and face are most frequently attacked.The nodules commence as red spots in the skin, whichbecome gradually of a blue tint, then brown : the sub-jacent tissue becomes thick and hard. The tubercle
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Fig. 135.—The face of a Leper. (After Ziegler.) increases and forms a sub-globular, soft, pale-colouredprominence, which, when knocked or rubbed, mayulcerate. Leprous ulcers are commonest on the insideof the nose, on the conjunctiva, and mucous membraneof the larynx. When the nodules form on nerve sheathsanaesthesia is produced. Microscopically, leprosy nodules are found to be made ZOOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF DISEASE. 273 up of round cells, with larger ones known as leprous cellsintermixed. When suitably stained the nodules arefound to contain enormous numbers of bacilli, many ofwhich crowd the large leprous cells. It should be borne in mind that in the Mosaic books theterm leprosy is used in a generic sense, for it includedmany forms of curable skin disease under this name, as acareful perusal of that very interesting chapter (Leviticusxiii.) will clearly show. It was only by isolating andcarefully watching the initial red spots that a confidentopinion could be expressed. The eviden