Medico-Chirurgical Transactions (Volume 7) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1816. Excerpt: ... sating tumor under the fascia of the vastus internus muscle, immediately above the inner hamstring. Forty ounces of blood were taken from his arm, his bowels were freed, and an evaporating wash was applied to the tumor. He passed a better night, and at half past twelve on Saturday, the 14th of October, the operation for aneurism was performed in the following manner: the femoral artery was laid bare at the usual place by an incision not exceeding three inches in length, and a tape, one-eighth of an inch in breadth, was passed under it by means of the aneurism needle. The ends of the ligature were passed through the holes in the foot of the " presse artere," and then crossed through the hole in its stalk. The artery was gently compressed by drawing the two ends of the ligature in an opposite direction, until Mr. Stringer t, who kept his hands applied to the tumor from the commencement of the operation, announced that the pulsation had ceased. The ligature was then secured by passing a small peg of wood through the hole in its stalk, and a small dossel of lint was laid on each side of the instrument in order to steady it in the wound (a precaution which I have ascertained to be unnecessary), and the sides of the wound were gently approximated by two or three strips of adhesive plaster. The operation was completed in about twelve minutes. The man made no complaint when the ligature was drawn, and when he was laid upon his bed he said "he was now as well as ever." In about twenty minutes, however, he complained of an excruciating pain in the calf of his leg. He was ordered 35 drops of laudanum. At half past two o'clock he still complained. I determined, therefore, to relax the ligature as well to ascertain how far the pain was excited by its pressure, as to o...