SECT. LXXXVII.—ON CLAVI, MYRMECIA, AND ACROCHORDONES.
The clavus is a round callus, white, resembling the head of a nail, and occurring in all parts of the body, but more especially on the soles of the feet and the toes, occasioning pain and lameness in walking. Wherefore, having scarified around the clavus or corn, and taken hold of it with a forceps, we cut it out by the roots with a sharp-pointed scalpel or lancet for bleeding. Some, in order that they may not grow again, use heated cauteries. The myrmecia is a prominence of the skin, small, callous, round, thick, spreading deep at the base, and, if rubbed, occasioning a sensation like the bites of ants, and being formed in all parts of the body, but more especially in the hands. Wherefore, some, among whom is Galen, advise us to scarify around the myrmecia with the stalk of a hard feather, such as those of old fowls, of geese, and of eagles, and to push it down so as to remove the myrmecia from the root. Others do the same thing with a copper or iron tube. The moderns are satisfied to scarify around it, and, having seized it with a forceps, to cut it out like corns with a scalpel. The acrochordon is a small rising of the surface, free of pain, callous, for the most part round, and having a narrow base so as to appear to hang. It is so called from its resemblance to the end of a cord. Having stretched out the protuberance then we may cut it out; or, otherwise, we may tie a thread or a hair round it. I have known many who consumed this and all the afore-mentioned protuberances with what is called the cold cautery.
Commentary. We have already treated fully of these diseases towards the end of the [Third Book] and in the [Fourth], to which we refer the reader for further information on this head.
Celsus recommends us merely to shave the clavus or corn. The others he directs us to remove by caustics, such as the lees of wine (potass?), or a mixture of alum and sandarach. The acrochordon, he says, when cut out leaves no roots behind. (v, 28.)
Albucasis particularly recommends burning for the cure of clavus and myrmecia. This may be accomplished either with fire or hot water. If the former method is preferred, an iron proportionate to the size of the corn is to be heated red-hot and applied to it, and the burning carried to such an extent as to occasion suppuration. In the other method a funnel of copper or iron, or else the quill of a vulture is to be applied to the corn, and then filled with boiling water. By these means, he says, the corn may be eradicated. (Chirurg. i, 55.)
See also Haly Abbas (Pract. ix, 12) and Rhases (Cont. xxxvi.) Rhases does not state very distinctly the difference between the myrmecia and acrochordon. He speaks of scraping them out with a hard pen, and of tying them at the base; but upon the whole he approves most of taking hold of them with a forceps and dissecting them out.
Avicenna recommends us to cut out the clavus and then apply a caustic medicine to the part. (iv, 7, 4, 14.)