In a day or two more, my patient took cold and was affected with hoarseness and cough, and the skin round the eschar became excoriated a little. I directed a saline purgative and applied the lunar caustic to the excoriated parts.
On the succeeding day his cold was better and the eschars adherent. I directed five grains of the Plummer's pill to be taken night and morning, which he continued about a week.
Five days after this period, I again observed a disposition to excoriate. I applied the caustic.
In two days more, the eschars were adherent, and there was no further appearance of excoriation.
In ten more days, the eschars had separated and all the ulcers and excoriations were completely healed.
This case occurred several years ago, and there has been no return of the affliction whatever.
Case XXIII.
Mr. Marshall, aged 60, had a troublesome ulcer under the outer ankle, of an oblong form and of the size of sixpence. He has been long subject to ulcers of the legs, and he had a similar ulcer to the present one in the same situation, some years ago, which proved extremely difficult to heal under usual remedies. The veins are varicose.—From the small size of the ulcer, I applied the lunar caustic and protected the eschar by the gold-beater's skin.
On the following day, I found the eschar complete but unadherent by the effusion of a little fluid; this I evacuated daily in the manner already described, for about a fortnight, when the eschar became adherent.
During the progress of the cure a little excoriation formed round the eschar. I touched the parts with the caustic, and the eschar thus formed served to support that formerly made, and so to do good. The whole adhered until the sore was very nearly healed; but as it was situated in a part greatly exposed, it was removed by accident. The caustic was again applied; fluid formed underneath the eschar as before and required evacuating thrice; but at length the eschar adhered, and in due time separated leaving the ulcer quite healed.