Among these are the convulsive closure of the jaws in _tetanus_, the
flaccid state of the lips, cheek, and tongue in _paralysis_, and the
pendent state of the lower jaw in _paralytic canine madness_. See these
different subjects.
STRUCTURAL DISEASES.
INFLAMMATION OF THE LIPS, CHEILITIS.
Causes of Cheilitis: Local injuries; poisoned; envenomed; secondary
disease. Symptoms: swelling; salivation; difficult prehension; cracks;
blisters; ulcers; indurations. Treatment: obviate causes; astringents;
antiseptics; derivatives; gravitation; for venoms antacid; antiseptic,
Iodine.
_Causes._ Blows, pricks, wounds and bruises with bits or twitch, and
other mechanical and chemical irritants, irritant vegetables, bites of
leeches or snakes, stings of insects, etc. It may be a skin disease
dependent on disorder of some remote organ, or a local engorgement due
to a constitutional state. (See, Urticaria Surfeit, Purpura
hæmorrhagica, Variola, Strangles).
_Symptoms._ Swelling, stiffness, heat and tenderness of the lips, with
or without local abrasion, or incised or punctured wound. Food may be
entirely refused from inability to take it in with the rigid tender
lips, and saliva drivels from the mouth because of their imperfect
apposition. Cracks, blisters and raw sores or ulcers may or may not
supervene. In old standing cases the lips become indurated and
comparatively immobile.
_Treatment._ Remove the cause whether irritants in food, or drugs, sharp
pointed bodies lodged in the tissues, injuries by bit, twitch or
otherwise. Local applications have comparatively little effect, being
promptly removed by the tongue, yet a lotion of vinegar and honey;—of
borax 10 grains and honey or glycerine 1 oz.;—or of alum in a similar
medium will often prove useful. A dose of laxative medicine will favor
resolution, and if there is great tumefaction, feeding thick gruels from
high manger, and tying to a high rack so as to prevent drooping of the
head, will favor recovery. In snake bites and stings the local
application of aqua ammonia and its administration internally (horse and
cow 1 oz., sheep 2 dr. in 20 times its volume of water) should be
practiced; or permanganate of potash may be used.
When the heat and tenderness subside, leaving much thickening and
induration it may be repeatedly painted with a lotion of one part of
tincture of iodine in three parts of glycerine.