M. M. Mercurial ointment smeared at night on the edges of the eyelids. Burnt alum sixty grains, hog's grease half an ounce, well rubbed into an ointment to be smeared on them in the night. Cold water frequently in the day. See Class [II. 1. 1. 8].
[4]. Hordeolum. Stye. This inflammation begins either on or near the edges of the eyelids, or in the loose skin of them, and is sometimes very slow either in coming to suppuration or in dispersing. The skin beneath the lower eyelid is the most frequent seat of this tumor, which sometimes never suppurates at all, but becomes an incysted tumor: for as this skin is very loose for the purpose of admitting great motion to the eyelid, the absorbent power of the veins seems particularly weak in this part; whence when any person is weakened by fatigue or otherwise, a darker shade of colour is seen beneath the eyes; which is owing to a less energetic action of the absorbent terminations of the veins, whence the currents of dark or venous blood are delayed in them. This dark shade beneath the eyes, when it is permanent, is a symptom of habitual debility, or inirritability of the circulating system. See Class [I. 2. 2. 2].
M. M. Smear the tumors with mercurial ointment, moisten them frequently with ether. To promote their suppuration they may be wounded with a lancet, or slit down the middle, or they may be cut out. A caustic leaves a large scar.
[5]. Paronychia superficialis. Whitlow. An inflammation about the roots of the nail beneath the skin, which suppurates without fever, and sometimes destroys the nail; which is however gradually reproduced. This kind of abscess, though not itself dangerous, has given opportunity for the inoculation of venereal matter in the hands of accoucheurs, and of putrid matter from the dissection of diseased bodies; and has thus been the cause of disease and death. When putrid matter has been thus absorbed from a dead body, a livid line from the finger to the swelled gland in the axilla is said to be visible; which shews the inflammation of the absorbent vessel along its whole course to the lymphatic gland; and death has generally been the consequence.
M. M. In the common paronychia a poultice is generally sufficient. In the absorption of putrid matter rub the whole hand and arm with mercurial ointment three or four times a day, or perpetually. Could the swelled axillary gland be exsected? In the absorption of venereal matter the usual methods of cure in syphilis must be administered, as in Class [II. 1. 5. 2].
[6]. Gutta rosea. The rosy drop on the face is of three kinds. First, the gutta rosea hepatica, or the red pimples on the faces of drunkards, which are probably a kind of crisis, or vicarious inflammation, which succeeds, or prevents, a torpor of the membranes of the liver. This and the succeeding species properly belong to Class [IV. 1. 2. 14].
Secondly, the pimpled face in consequence of drinking cold water, or eating cold turnips, or other insipid food, when much heated with exercise; which probably arises from the sympathy between the skin of the face and the stomach; and may be called the gutta rosea stomatica. Which is distinguished from the former by the habits of the patient in respect to drinking; by the colour of the eruptions being less deep; and by the patient continuing generally to be troubled with some degree of apepsia. See Class [I. 3. 1. 3]. I knew a lady, who had long been afflicted with pain about the region of the stomach; and, on drinking half a pint of vinegar, as a medicine, she had a breaking out commenced on her face; which remained, and she became free from the pain about the stomach. Was this a stomachic, or an hepatic disease?
Thirdly, there is a red face, which consists of smaller pimples than those above mentioned; and which is less liable to suppurate; and which seems to be hereditary, or at least has no apparent cause like those above mentioned; which may be termed gutta rosea hereditaria, or puncta rosea.
Mrs. S. had a pimpled face, which I believe arose from potation of ale. She applied alum in a poultice to it, and had soon a paralytic stroke, which disabled her on one side, and terminated in her death.
Mrs. L. had a red pimpled face, which seemed to have been derived from her mother, who had probably acquired it by vinous potation; she applied a quack remedy to it, which I believe was a solution of lead, and was seized with epileptic fits, which terminated in palsy, and destroyed her. This shews the danger of using white paint on the face, which is called bismuth, but is in reality white lead or cerussa.