CHAPTER XXII.

EXTERNAL AND THROMBOTIC PILES VERSUS MUCO-CUTANEOUS SACS AND THROMBUS.

The vent of a crater indicates the convulsive and destructive changes that have taken place within; and, very often, the vent of the gastro-enteric sewer gives like evidence of long, great, and severe destructive changes. The fire of inflammation has burned fiercely for many, many years, and serous lava has, from time to time, poured forth, leaving a searing, inflammatory path. As it was forced from the recto-anal crater, the acrid, burning mucus, that had been imprisoned, made subcutaneous streams, cavities, channels, sacs, etc. Its course is marked around the anus by peaks, crags, muco-skinny tabs, small and large bulging muco-cutaneous sacs, dilated anal veins in which clots of blood often form; light gray, brittle, shiny skin with small and large red and sore oases, thickly studded over the itching area, which the sufferer has scratched in the vain hope of appeasing the torture of pruritus ani, scroti, vulvæ; while cold drops of perspiration stand over his or her face and body, serving to indicate the physical and mental anguish inexpressible in words.

Muco-serous exudations under one or more layers of the recto-anal mucous membrane finds its way down to the integument around the anus, and being of a very irritating character, greatly increases the inflammatory process in the tissues it comes in contact with. Thus the increased inflammation and blood stasis and the augmented serum unite in hurrying the development of skinny tabs and the more or less capacious muco-cutaneous rugæ and sacs.

When the serous exudation takes place entirely under the recto-anal mucous membrane, there may be formed a large muco-cutaneous anal sac, especially on the right or left side of the anus, or the serum may pass under the integument about the anus with little or no anatomical change in the appearance of the skin at or about the anus. In the latter case, an experienced eye can detect sufficient evidence to diagnose the destructive changes wrought by the presence of serum in the connective tissue under the skin and ano-rectal mucous membrane.

The skin is not, as it should be, held fast by the connective tissue, but lies loose over the cavity; and a similar pathological condition exists under the mucous membrane of the anus, rectum, and sigmoid flexure, which circumstance might lead one, in some instances, to conclude that there was almost an entire separation of the mucous membrane from the areolar tissue, by the ridges, folds, large, pouched, prolapsed, sacculated regions of mucous membrane that has the appearance of having been simply carelessly laid over the muscular structure of the organs. When we observe such destructive changes by the invasion of serous exudation under the mucous membrane, we have every reason to expect periproctitis and perisigmoiditis, with the possibility of the formation of pus occurring with the usual consequences. So remarkable and serious are the excursions of the mucous currents into healthy neighboring tissue that we find a symptom of a disease vastly more annoying and serious than the disease itself. Is it any wonder we find stenosis (narrowing of the passage) of eight, ten, or more inches of the lower portion of the large intestine, which is usually diagnosed atony of the bowels? Surely, you must by this time appreciate the reason I made so strong an appeal for the twice daily use of the enema as a means of relief. You need the combination of many aids over a long period of time to effect a cure of proctitis, etc., and its numerous symptoms. Proctitis and colitis is a serious affliction, and should have your undivided attention with the hearty co-operation of the patient in effecting a cure. How foolish is the practice of removing one or two annoying symptoms (piles and fistula) and leaving the sufferer untreated, the disease itself and the other symptoms not so apparent at the time of the operation, and then dismiss the case as cured! Shame on such practice, in which ignorance and cupidity dominate! Humanity cries for a correct diagnosis and a humane treatment!

The profuse serous exudation resulting from proctitis and sigmoiditis makes its way from the diseased area into the neighboring regions like lava from an active volcano, carrying with it an intense burning inflammation, destroying normal fatty tissue as it advances, owing to its extremely acrid character. Is it any wonder that we find dilated veins and arteries in the lower rectal and ano-rectal canal and around the anus where stasis of the blood has existed for a great many years? The real wonder is that thrombus in the veins around the anus does not occur more frequently than it does. What is the necessity of calling such a pathological change in the caliber of a vein and the weakening of its walls “thrombotic pile”? Thrombus is a clot of blood in a vein, and there is no use in adding the word “pile.” The aggravated character of the inflammation accounts for the hypertrophied and the cicatricial tissue so often found around the anal vent of proctitis cases. The Biblical suggestion that sacculated mucosa, commonly termed piles or hemorrhoids, is a disease, accounts for the numerous names used to designate the particular variety of the disease--whether it be an internal or an external pile tumor. It is very wrong to so mislead “scientific” medical men. Had they only known that the numerous sacs, bags, prolapsed pouches, longitudinal and transverse folds of the ano-rectal mucous membrane, and the ragged, jagged, prolapsed, pouched muco-cutaneous tissue around the anus, as well as the fissure-in-ano, pruritus ani, fistula, are only symptoms of a disease, all of the many abnormal changes and the other symptoms could have been prevented many generations ago by simply treating their exciting cause. But it is never too late to learn things that will benefit mankind.

Don’t for a moment think that all of the structural changes on the mucous membrane and about the anus mentioned above indicate an affliction only skin deep, or even the depth of the mucous membrane. They are far worse than that. You will find all the muscular structure of the anal organ and that of the rectum sigmoid flexure severely invaded by the inflammatory process and its fibrinous exudation, and also the external tissues that surround and support the organs.

We have circular and longitudinal muscular tissue entering into the structure of the anus and rectum. The sphincter muscles are two large and strong muscles that close the anal orifice and guard its vent very effectually if they are not destroyed by a surgeon’s knife.

The acrid burning serum coming in contact with the muscular tissue excites an aggravated inflammation in its structure as elsewhere. The constant irritation results in more or less permanent contraction of the sphincter muscles in which fibrinous exudation takes place, binding the contracted muscular fibers together. In time their expansibility is lost in many cases, and in other cases partially so, necessitating divulsion of the sphincters in order to break up the adhesions and establish a somewhat normal circulation of the blood in the diseased parts, also in order to relieve the irritation to the nerves distributed to the organs and their marked reflex excitement. In some cases an expansion of the sphincters for one and a half inches or two inches is quite sufficient; other cases may require a little more thorough divulsion; but never weaken or paralyze the sphincters, as your patient needs their normal use, and you need the reputation of never causing incontinence of feces. Guard the usefulness of the sphincters as you would a valuable treasure.

As a rule, I treat all of the ano-rectal sacculated mucosa in cases where divulsion is required before performing the dilatation to break up the adhesions, and very frequently the muco-cutaneous sacs and distended veins as well. It may be well to delay the divulsion--with which there is usually no hurry--until you determine how many U-shaped (or hairpin shaped) mucus channels and recto-anal mucus fistulas there may be present that have passed down under the recto-anal mucous membrane, down to the integument about the anus, and then pressed immediately upward again along the outer wall of the anus and rectum, to the extent of six inches or more. There may be three, four, six, or more of them quite prominent as to length and size.

For the treatment of the recto-anal sacculated mucosa the injection method is par excellent. For the removal of the muco-cutaneous sac a double V-shaped incision, the proper depth, length, and width, will remove the surplus or redundant tissue, after which the edges are brought together with a catgut suture,--or omit the suture if you think best,--followed by the home attention as prescribed for fissure-in-ano in a previous chapter. At the time of removing the sacculated tissue attention may also be given to the mucus channel; or you may, if you wish, leave it so that at some future treatment you can give it the desired attention. A one or two per cent. solution of alypin, cocain, or beta eucain will produce the necessary local anesthesia for a painless operation. I remove only one muco-cutaneous sac at a treatment, which permits the patient to go about as usual without much inconvenience.

If you have removed all of the ano-rectal sacculated mucosa in a case, and have omitted to remove the one or more ano-muco-cutaneous sacs or dilated veins that are so often present around the anus, and have also neglected to cure the chronic proctitis, then the sacculated mucosa may, by some hook or crook, become excited again into an acute inflammatory condition, the sphincter muscles may grip tighter than usual, and lo, thrombus has taken place in a vein, and the wrinkled, shriveled, skinny tab or sac looks like a miniature balloon, and your dismissed patient is in a troubled state of mind to have everything come back on him so soon!

The cure was all right so far as it went, but there was the disease and some of the old external symptoms to tell the tale of an incompleted treatment.

Those muco-cutaneous sacs at the enteric crater’s mouth are just so many thermometers at its vent to tell the temperature occasioned by the fire of inflammation within, and they will damage your reputation as a proctologist if they be not removed. By all means get rid of these symptoms and indicators of trouble within; and if there should by chance be a little of the old proctitis remaining that wants to assert itself by making trouble, in becoming acute, it will be surprisingly handicapped in its efforts, and the chances are all in your favor; and you will, moreover, from time to time, hear what So-and-So said about the very successful treatment of his or her case.

Sacculated mucosa, muco-cutaneous sacs, submucous channels, etc., having their source in the rectum and anus, are all of a similar origin, the result of serous exudation. These symptoms of proctitis vary in development and number according to the nature and progress of the disease. In those cases that are quite exempt from sacculated mucosa (piles) you may expect to find submucous channels largely developed, and _vice versa_.

Too much stress cannot be placed upon the serious results of auto-intoxication by the absorption of mucus from channels and cavities that will hold from three to eight or more ounces of fluid at one time. They are no doubt rapidly emptied by the process of absorption into the system.

I have not referred to the fatalities of the hypodermic treatment of sacculated mucosa (piles or hemorrhoids) because of the fact that none have ever occurred within my knowledge among those using either this or a similar method of treatment.