Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/710

 690 POLYPUS POLYZOA mucous cavities and passages, having their origin either in or beneath these membranes. These growths or excrescences may be in the vicinity of the natural openings of the body, as in the nasal fossae and rectum, and there- fore within the sight and reach of the surgeon ; or interior, as in the uterus, bladder, &c., in- accessible to his eye and very often to his in- struments. They are usually single, sometimes multiple ; their extent is very variable, accord- ing to their time and freedom of growth, and their surface may be inflamed or ulcerated. There are two principal forms : the pediculated, with a more or less long and narrow neck, as in the nasal passages ; or sessile, in which the morbid mass simply raises the tegumentary membrane. Some are easily crushed, others are very hard. In the soft, mucous, or vesicu- lar polypus, the appearance is semi-transparent, gelatinous, consisting of a mass of areolar tis- sue, containing an albuminous fluid, covered by a thin adherent membrane; it sometimes contains vesicles ; the vessels are few and fine. Themselves insensible, these tumors give trou- ble only by their volume, rarely cause haemor- rhage, irritation, inflammation, or any grave symptom, and do not degenerate into malig- nant disease; they are also hygrometrical, growing larger in damp weather ; nothing pos- itive is known as to their causes. A more solid form consists of a concrete, grayish albumen, enclosed in areolar tissue, covered by a slightly vascular membrane. In the spongy polypus the tissue is soft, red, vascular, often giving rise to troublesome bleeding, and prone to undergo cancerous degeneration. The fibrous polypus may acquire a considerable size, and is generally pear-shaped, though sometimes of very strange forms; it is lobulated, smooth, and firm, except when subsequently softened and ulcerated ; itself insensible, it may cause pain by pressure on surrounding parts ; when softened or gangrenous, it may lead to bleeding or to offensive discharges equally exhausting. The fleshy polypus is vascular, painful, and prone to degeneration ; the cartilaginous forms may undergo more or less osseous transforma- tion. Polypus is generally a product of the hypertrophy of some one or more of the ana- tomical elements of the tissue from which it takes its origin. These tumors impede the functions of the organs with which they are connected ; impairing smell and taste when in the nasal cavities, in the pharynx interfer- ing with swallowing, in the auditory meatus with hearing, in the larynx with the respira- tion and the voice, in the rectum with defeca- tion, in the bladder with the excretion of urine, and in the uterus with reproduction. The treatment consists of local applications for dry- ing up or destroying the growth; or of ex- cision, tearing off, laceration, seton, compres- sion, ligature, and similar applications of mod- ern surgery. In the nose the common form of the polypus is the gelatinous, and its favor- ite attachment the turbinated bones ; its pres- ence is indicated by a constant stuffed feeling as from a cold in the head, increased in damp weather; it may generally be brought into view by forcing air through the affected nos- tril, while the other is closed ; there are some- times more than one, and they are very liable to return when removed; if allowed to re- main, the increasing size blocks up the nos- tril and displaces the septum, producing often great deformity on the cheek and about the eye ; it is generally twisted off from its narrow peduncle by forceps. The hydatid, cancerous, and fungoid polypi admit only of palliative treatment. Uterine polypus is generally pear- shaped and attached by a narrow neck; the symptoms are those of uterine irritation, such as dragging pains, menorrhagia, and fetid dis- charges ; it is generally removed by ligature. In other polypi near the external openings of the body the principles of treatment are the same ; in the internal forms the diagnosis is obscure, and the treatment simply palliative. POLYSPERCHON, a general of Alexander the Great, died about 300 B. 0. He distinguished himself in the Persian and Indian campaigns, but, not being in Babylon at the time of Alex- ander's death in 323, was disregarded in the distribution of power which ensued. He then attached himself to Antipater, and so gained his esteem that, passing over his own son Oassander, the regent appointed him his suc- cessor (319). He had at once to contend both against Cassander and Antigonus. He allied himself with Olympias, the mother of Alex- ander, sought to gain over the Greek cities by abolishing their oligarchical governments, sur- rendered Phocion to his enemies, and invaded the Peloponnesus. The valor of the Megalo- politans, however, forced him to retreat. At the same time he lost Macedonia, but recovered it with the assistance of Olympias (317). He was soon expelled by Cassander, and played an inglorious part in that general's struggle with Antigonus, joining first one side and then the other. In 310 he attempted to restore his for- tunes by reviving the claims of Hercules, the last surviving son of Alexander, but soon sac- rificed him to Oassander. Polysperchon is last mentioned in 303. POLYXENA, a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, beloved by Achilles. One legend relates that Achilles, for the sake of obtaining her in marriage, promised Priam to make peace be- tween the Greeks and Trojans, and, going to the temple of the Thymbraean Apollo to con- clude the negotiations, was treacherously slain by Paris. Polyxena was therefore sacrificed to his manes, according to one account on his tomb, according to another on the coast of Thrace. Another form of the legend repre- sents Polyxena and Achilles to have fallen in love when the dead body of Hector was given up, and that when the Greek champion was slain she killed herself upon his tomb. POLYZOA (Gr. TTO^?, many, and f&ov, animal), a name given by Thompson to the lowest of