MARGINAL SWELLING AND ABSCESSES.
Marginal swellings and abscesses, appearing the third or fourth day after operation, are produced by excessive irritation. I have never seen them occur except when the patient disobeyed instructions and exercised inordinately. One instance, in a case of long standing, where the piles occupied both sides of the rectum between the sphincters, I operated on both sides and injected every tumor at one sitting, enjoining rest and quiet. He afterwards rode a long distance and walked a half mile, which caused an unusual amount of pain and soreness; not content with this he took a dose of castor oil, when a very painful marginal swelling occurred. Being a strong man up to this time he had used no palliative measures whatever, and only then informed me of his suffering. Hot water and a sponge soon eased the pain and a superficial abscess developed; it was slit up and a good recovery followed.
According to my observation and belief, piles situated just above the verge and in proximity to the network or plexus of nerves surrounding the anus, are more prone to cause a marginal swelling than others, particularly if improperly or two deeply injected, and an irritating quality of carbolic acid be used. It might also be stated that pain varies in intensity as it approaches the verge, one of the most acutely sensitive surfaces of the body. A small sensitive pile not larger than a salmon egg, situated within the grasp of the external sphincter, will keep up a titilation and contraction of the muscle sufficient to disturb and put ill at ease the entire animal economy.
A swelling or lump which often appears immediately after injection of piles of any considerable size just above the verge, is of no consequence and will subside within a few days. A similar swelling sometimes results from a severe attack of internal hemorrhoids, which some speak of as the developing of an external pile, but I do not see that such formations are anything more than marginal swellings, caused by the irritation above.