The Case of Grace Lowdell, Aged about Sixty Years, Who Had an Extraordinary Tumour on Her Thigh; Communicated by John Chandler, F. R. S. from Mr. Mizael Malfalguerat, Surgeon, at St. Edmund's-Bury

XXII. The Case of Grace Lowdell, aged about Sixty Years, who had an extraordinary Tumour on her Thigh; communicated by John Chandler, F.R.S. from Mr. Mizael Mal-salguerat, Surgeon, at St. Edmund's-bury. Grace Lowdell, a poor old Woman of the Parish of St. James, in Bury St. Edmund's, Suffolk, being naturally of a gross, fat, and relaxed Constitution, and constantly given to the drinking of strong Liquors; and consequently labouring for many Years under an ill Habit of Body, such as the Rheumatism, which had caused Contraction of some of her Fingers, with some nervous Affections in her Head, often causing some little Fits of Vertigo, &c. And though she had formerly some Child-bearing Weakness, viz. a Procidentia Uteri, yet there could not be found any other scrophulous Symptoms, than that she observed, when about Thirty Years of Age, soon after her Delivery of a Son, a little hard Swelling on the Muscle Biceps, and posterior, inferior and external lateral Part of the Thigh, a little above the Ham, without her knowing any manifest Occasion for it; which at first went on slowly, but after proceeding more quickly, and the older it grew, it still came on the faster, until it increased to the Bulk of near a Foot in Circumference, being somewhat of a globulous and a little longish Figure from its Basis, which was lax, like a Peduncle, or Stalk, and about half the Circumference of the Tumour, like a Neck to the Head of a Child hanging down. From the first Appearance of this Tumour to the Excision of it, there were more than Thirty Years: She had excessive Pains and Uneasiness in it, and at last its Bulk and Weight had in some measure intercepted the Nourishment to it, so that an Ulcer had affected the inferior Part of it, very putrid and sinuous, of about Six Months standing. This Excrescence was of the natural Colour of the Skin, and was for the most part of a pinquedinous Substance; the Centre and Basis being an Atheroma; but more scirrhouss than common. This Excrescence, having grown so big, was not contained in a manifest Cystis, but had some large Circumvolutions of Fat adherent to its common Te-guments, as was observed after the Excision of it, when it was soon conveyed away; so that, through Inadvertency, we did not weigh it. My Design in this Case was to have made a total Extirpation of this Excrescence; but by reason of its lying with large Vessels, and amongst the Tendons of the Muscles, I was content (as Dr. Turner advises in such Cases) "To level it, the best we can, by Escharotics, still repeated as the Sloughs throw off; till we have consumed as much of the Gland or Substance, and gone as deep, as may be safely ventured; when probably some powerful Deficative may induce a Cicatrix, which may so tie the Remains, as to create no farther Trouble." This Tumour had been shewn to most of the Physicians and Surgeons hereabouts, some of no less Skill than Note, who seemed to approve of the Operation: Therefore, July the 7th 1735. I made a Ligature about the Basis of it, with a Slip-knot, by which which I gradually constringed it once or twice a Day, as the Patient could suffer it, without causing any ill Symptoms, till the 17th of the same Month, when she was taken with strong Convulsions, a slow Fever, Syncope, her Teeth set in her Head, and a Loss of her Senses, which lasted that whole Day, and the Night following; from which time I did no more constringe the Tumour, prescribed Cordials, volatile Drops, a purging Enema, and a paregoric Draught at Night, which had so good an Effect, that by the next Day she was much recovered, and came to her Senses. The Ligature began to make a Separation in the Neck of this preternatural sprouting Excrecence; and on the 20th, in the Presence only of one in the Profession, having all my Apparatus before me, I extirpated the whole outward Tumour without any great Hemorrhage. I was induced to use the Ligature, in order to prevent the too great Effusion of Blood, which might otherwise happen; thinking it not very safe to make a Ligature of the Body of so large an Artery as is in the Ham, for fear of intercepting afterwards the Nourishment to the Leg, as happens often after the Operation of the Aneurisma. The Remains, though sordid at first, by a peculiar Method of Dressing, and proper Applications of strong Digestives, Detersives, &c. cleansed, and the Ulcer soon digested, the Substance came even to the Skin, and, September the 21st, it was all perfectly cured, without any Hardness, or any Inconvenience to her walking, and is like to remain always so.