Absorption of the Testes from Metastasis of Mumps. By Colum-
bus Hixson, Student of Medicine, Middletown, Guernsey Coun-
ty, Ohio.
A. G., aged 25, in April, 1842, was attacked ^with mumps,
which at that time were prevailing in an epidemic form in the
neighborhood. The family physician was called, who prescribed
the usual antiphlogistic treatment. In the course of three weeks
the patient had so far recovered as to be able to walk about his
chamber. The swelling of the parotid glands had entirely disap-
peared, and the patient thinking himself convalescent, made a visit
upon horseback to the village about one and a half miles distant;
and returned in about 3 hours, with slight sensations of pain in the
testicles, which in the course of a few hours became so severe as
to confine him to his bed. The physician was again called, who
prescribed fomentations, a suspensory bandage, and the unguentum
iodini comp, to the scrotum, and rubefacients to the parotids.
Under this treatment the patient speedily recovered, the swelling
was dispersed and he has ever since enjoyed excellent general
health. Shortly after this occurrence, he noticed small tumors
forming in the substance of the scrotum, which, at the present
time are very numerous, but most abundant on the left side of the
scrotum, and which at times run on to suppuration, and when punc-
tured, some emit a fluid resembling healthy pus, while others dis-
charged a fluid of the consistence of paste. The scrotum has also
been attended with itching sensations, which at times is almost in-
tolerable.
Shortly after his convalescence from the mumps, our patient no-
ticed that his testicles were becoming smaller, which caused a great
deal of uneasiness. Several medical gentlemen were consulted, but
none gave him any encouragement respecting a cure. At last he
disclosed the case to the writer, who, after examination, determin-
ed to report the case, hoping that it might elicit from the pen of
some one an investigation. The testicles of this individual, at
the present time, are not more than one third their original size,
the right one is considerably smaller than the left.
From this history of the case, which is a correct one, there ap-
pears to have been a departure from the ordinary phenomena ob-
served in the course of this disease. So far as the writer is aware
it is the doctrine of pathologists, that the testicles are liable to become
implicated at the time of the swelling leaving the parotid glands. In
this case it appears from the patient’s own acknowledgments that
swelling or inflammation had entirely left its originalseat, and he had
so far recovered as to consider himself convalescent. In the opin-
ion of the writer, the tumors present in the scrotum, are but a
morbid condition of the sebacious glands of that part. Should
this article meet the eye of any medical gentleman, who feels him-
self competent to the task, it is hoped that the treatment most
likely to succeed will be pointed out.