A case of ichthyosis.

Ryan, James Patrick, 1840-1918.

Journal : Intercolonial medical congress transactions ; vol. ii.

Melbourne : Stillwell and Co., 1889.

Description : 977-980 p., [1 l.] pl. ; ill.: 1 phot. ; 25 cm.

Photograph : 1 albumen mounted to a printed leaf.

Photographer : Johnstone & O'Shannessy & Co. (attributed).

Subject : Skin — Ichthyosis hystrix.

Notes :

• Author caption: By J. P. Ryan. Chevalier to the Legion of Honor. Surgeon to the Skin Department of the Melbourne Hospital. Surgeon to the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
• Royal College of Surgeons, 1865.
• Staff surgeon, Army of the Loire, Franco-Prussian War, 1870.
• Registered in Victoria at the end of 1873.
• Surgeon to the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
• Honorary surgeon to out-patients, Melbourne Hospital, ca 1880's.
• Enrolled, King's and Queen's College of Physicians, 1884.
• Medical degree conferred, National University of Ireland, 1915.
• Photo caption: Case Of Ichthyosis (Dr. J. P. Ryan's Paper).
• Index Medicus: 20708121460.

The photograph shows a postoperative five year-old boy from behind. He is standing before a painted studio backdrop. Motivated by the failure of all treatments proposed for this very rare genetic disorder, Dr. Ryan put the boy under chloroform and dissected out half the thickness of a popliteal skin patch and thoroughly scraped the exposed layers with a Volkmann spoon. It was a bold procedure, but a follow up report published in volume 15 of the The Australian medical journal (p. 276-277) revealed that this intervention also failed. Twenty months later the spiny verrucous plaques had grown back.