A MERCURIAL INJECTION FOR USE IN THE INTRAMUSCULAR TREATMENT OF SYPHILIS
Authors: F. J. Lambkin
Journal: BMJ (1903)

The ages of the children treated at South Mimms were 4, 4, 5 and 8; three were unvaccinated, and one of these died.It will be seen that no young infants were sent to South Mimms, while there were no less than five at Enfield, all un- vaccinated, and that four of these died.If these almost hopeless cases are put on one side, it will be noted that there was but one death in 44 cases.That case was one of con- fluent small-pox in a man aged 47, of intemperate habits and not.vaccinated since infancy.This favourable mortality seems to me to lend some ground to the belief that the special treatment adopted had some beneficial influence.This is ftrther suggested by the.fact that among the 35 adults under treatment there were no less than seven of a very severe confluent type, or with some special cause of danger.CASE I.-C.C.. female, aged 37, vaccinated in infancy, was confined on third day of illness at term; admitted next day, second of rash, which was completely confluent on face, head, and extremities, and very thick on the trunk.Temperature on admission 1o2.60, but fell next day to 100.20, and on the third morning to 9g0.It rose on the tenth day to 1or.60, but fell next day to zoo°, and she made a good recovery without delirium or any special symptom.The way in which the pustules withered and dried up, apparently after maturating, was remarkable.CASE II.-A.L., female, aged 13, vaccinated in infancy.Rash very thick, and semi-confluent on face, legs, and arms; had had severe haemorrhage from the mouth before admission, and slight on next day.Evening temperature 103 *°, next day xo*O, and continued from 980 to x00°f or a week; after that subnormal.Good recovery.CASE iII.-A.L., female, aged 25, vaccinated in infancy.Pregnant five months; did not abort.Confluent on face and hands, thick elsewhere.Temperature only once above Ico0, namely, on tenth day (zoo,60), next day 99.60: afterwards subnormal.CASE iv.-E.C., female, aged 27, vaccinated in infancy.In thira pregi nancy; confined on fifth day of eruption, at eight months; norma labour.Eruption thick all over, but discrete.Temperature 1oo60 on evening of admission, after that never abcove zoo0, and after third day of confinement only gg0 on three days.Recovered.The infant was vacci- nated on day of birth, and three days later, but both failed to take.Later, he had a few modified spots, but was never really ill.CAsE v.-E.J., female, aged 57; vaccinated in infancy.Confluent on face, arms, and legs, thick elsewhere.No special symptoms except slight rigors on the ninth, eleventh, and twelfth day of disease, and slight de- lirium on the twelfth day.Good recovery.Temperature on tenth, eleventh, and twelfth days ioIO, and on fourteenth 1oz.60, then fluctuated for three days under 200, and after that was normal.CASE VI.-T.R. B., male, aged 43, navvy; vaccinated in infancy.Con- fluent on face, arms, and legs in great blisters.On the ninth day of disease most of the pustules on the legs, arms, and trunk were haemor- rhagic, but no delirium.On the fifteenth day the note is, " Scabs have formed on face, but are already coming away, leaving no ulcers; skin of arms likewise coming away in large flakes, leaving raised, flat, red, glazed patches without pus."Temperature, which had been from 1zOI to 102.60, began to fall on the twelfth day, and by the fifteenth was normal, and so continued.Good recovery.CASE vII.-A.J. W., male, aged 47, a free drinker; vaceinated in infancy Admitted on fifth day.Confluent on head and limbs, semi-confluent on trunk.Delirious after seventh day, and died on eleventh.