SCROFULA ("king's evil"), a tedious disease, tubercular in its nature, one of the most characteristic marks of which is a tendency to swelling of the glandu lar parts, which sometimes suppurate, and discharge a curdy, mixed matter, and are very difficult to heal. The persons in whom scrofulous disease is most apt to manifest itself are marked during childhood by pale and pasty complexions, large heads, narrow chests, protuberant bellies, soft and flabby muscles, and a languid and feeble circulation. It, how ever, often accompanies a variety of the sanguineous temperament also, and is in dicated by light or red hair, gray or blue eyes, with large and sluggish pupils, and long, silky lashes, a fair, transparent brilliancy of skin, and rosy cheeks. This red color is, however, easily changed by cold to purple or livid, and the extremi ties are subject to chilblains. It is fre quent, also, though less common, in what is called the melancholic or bilious tem perament, i. e., in persons of dark, muddy complexion and harsh skin, in whom the mental and bodily energies are more slug gish and dull. It is one of those diseases that are in a very marked degree heredi tary. Among the exciting causes are in
sufficient nutriment, exposure to wet and cold, impurity of the atmosphere, the want of natural exercise, and mental dis quietude. Climate exercises a very marked influence upon it. A moist, cold, and variable climate is particularly fav orable to its development, while on the other hand a hot or a very cold climate protects against it.
It usually manifests itself in indolent glrndular tumors, frequently in the neck, at first free from pain and inflammation, but proceeding slowly to an inflammatory state, and gradually and generally, after a long time, forming an ulcer, which is extremely difficult to heal. In some cases the eyes and eyelids are the principal seat of the disease, having constantly a very inflamed aspect. The bones of scrofulous persons are also liable to disease, espe cially those of the spine. The lungs are particularly liable to attack in such cases, giving rise to the formation of tubercles in that organ which is so marked a fea ture in phthisis.