The diseases of the breast, and their treatment

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Preface

The following treatise was undertaken with the desire to render the varieties of those diseases of the breast, which depend upon the development of new growths, or of tumors, more readily recognized by my professional brethren.

Opportunities on a large scale have occurred to me, through the kindness of many friends and my connection with Guy's Hospital, to examine, as minutely as possible, those morbid growths to which allusion is made above. And, if T have been rather prolix in the description of their minute anatomy, I trust that the fault may be forgiven, and that the reader will attribute this, I hope pardonable, occupation of his time to a desire to render the explanation clear, and the identification of similar structures of easy attainment. How

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far I have been successful in my endeavours, the reader alone is competent to judge.

One great object has been the instruction of my junior professional brethren ; and if in this one point only I may have succeeded, I shall look back upon the time devoted to the composition with gratification and no little pride.

And, should my seniors do me the honour to peruse these pages, I request them to recal those days, at the outset of their professional life, when they were acquiring daily, by personal experience, those facts, by acting upon which they have raised themselves to that high position in science and in society, of which they may be as justly proud, as it is rightfully merited.

To them I look to have corrected the faults which they must detect ; to them I look to have supplied the omissions in which I fear my early efforts must abound ; and to them I appeal for opportunities to prosecute further examinations into this most intricate, but not the less interesting, subject.

In conclusion, it is to be hoped that these investiga-

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tions will not only throw some light on this very obscure subject, " but (what is at present quite as much wanted) arouse the attention of observers, and at the same time give.it that right direction, by pointing out what ought to be observed, without which all observation is lost labour." — Sir J. Herschel, Treatise on Astronomy, p. 338.

Wellington Street, Southwark, June, 1850.

Table Of Contents

Page

Preface ......... iii

Bibliography xi