Condylomata, Sycosis, Fig-warts

These excrescences are a morbid growth of the skin and mucous membrane, or, better defined, or the subcutaneous and submucous cellular tissue. They are of different external appearance, according to their coating. When they are covered by the epidermis they appear dry, hard, horny, like common warts; when covered with thin epithelium, or when they are entirely bare and excoriated, they appear soft, moist and secrete more or less of a slimy, acrid, badly-smelling fluid. These latter are the genuine syphilitic condylomata or hubercula rnucosa.

Their forms are likewise various; some are flat, upon a broad basis; others are conical, growing on a pedicle; others appear like a cock's comb. The flat fig-warts are chiefly found around the anus, between the gluteus muscles; on the perineum, scrotum, external skin of the penis, glans penis, and on the external surface of the labia in women; whilst the conical and pedidilated are usually found in the entrance of the vagina, on the clitoris and even far back in the vagina, and on the neck of the womb; in males on the interior surface of the prepuce; also between the nates. They sometimes grow so luxuriantly that the whole vagina and interior surface of the prepuce is covered by them. A third kind is quite small, in the shape of pin-heads, which are generally found around the corona in men, and on the interior surfaces of the labia in women. In secondary syphilis they appear also in other localities, especially on the tongue, corners of the mouth, chin, face, forehead, eyelids, iris, scalp, meatus auditorius, axillae, nipples, and between the toes. Soon after the outbreak of this pest in the middle ages we read of condylomatous excrescences in the face, which were of a finger's length, and which caused, for their bearers, more ridicule than compassion.