2
317 Mr. Guthrie, the assistant-sur- geon to the hospital, having arrived, proceeded to examine the wound, and found that the metatarsal bone of the great toe had been so com- pletely crushed, by the fall of a heavy stone upon it, that its re- moval was necessary. To effect this, he merely had to open the wound, and to dissect the fractured parts of the bone out, with a scalpel, no saw being used in the operation. In doing this, the anterior tibial artery was wounded, and secured by a ligature, but a considerable ’, degree of bleeding - was observed about the posterior tibial, but this ceased on the application of pres- sure, on dressing the wound, and rolling it up with a bandage. About one hour after the opera- tion, the bandages and dressings, were found to be considerably tinged. with-blood, although not enough to make the surgeons open them, and the patient complained of experiencing a considerable degree of pain. The pulse 80, and rather feeble. 29th. There has been a good deal of bleeding during this day and the last night. The foot is ex- tremely painful. Bowels open. Pulse 80. . 30th. No pain, warmth, or sen- sation in the foot whatever. The toes have assumed a gangrenous and livid appearance, and a small black vesicle has arisen upon the middle of the foot, just above the toes. There is a dull, heavy look in the eyes of the patient, having a delirious appearance, although he acts and talks collectedly. - The pulse is quick, weak, and intermit- ting, and the whole of the symp- toms are very unfavourable. Carbonat. Potassœ ij. Ag. Fontan, viij. Tr. Opii. M. XL. Syr. Simplex. iij. M. Capiat œger. j. c. Cochl. Succi. Limon. 4ta. quaque hora. , A warm poultice to be applied to the foot. 31st. The foot has, to-day, in some degree recovered its sensation, a touch being now felt, although otherwise quite free from pain.’ Pulse 96, quick, and stronger than yesterday. The wildness of look has also disappeared. This operation was performed by the assistant-surgeon (Mr. GUTII- R IE) before the surgeons met at the’ usual hour, (about half-past twelve o’clock,) and, in the absence of almost all the pupils, although it, was half-past eleve?i before the pa- tient was brought in. The opera- tor doubtless had good reasons for this, but the pupils who were ab- sent were not quite pleased that they were thus deprived of the sight of the operation, and the usual remarks of the surgeons, in such cases. ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL. Friday, August 27. Mr. Ew- BANK operated this morning for stone in the bladder. The patient had laboured under the disease for several years, and was so great a sufferer by it, that he had the appearance of being at least ten years older than he really was (49). Mr. EWBANK chose the high operation, and having placed the patient upon a table, with the trunk of the body inclining backwards, he made an incision directly down- wards, two inches and a hdlf in

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Page 1: ST. GEORGE'S HOSPITAL

317

Mr. Guthrie, the assistant-sur-geon to the hospital, having arrived,proceeded to examine the wound,and found that the metatarsal boneof the great toe had been so com-pletely crushed, by the fall of a

heavy stone upon it, that its re-

moval was necessary. To effectthis, he merely had to open thewound, and to dissect the fracturedparts of the bone out, with a scalpel,no saw being used in the operation.In doing this, the anterior tibialartery was wounded, and securedby a ligature, but a considerable ’,degree of bleeding - was observedabout the posterior tibial, but thisceased on the application of pres-sure, on dressing the wound, androlling it up with a bandage.

About one hour after the opera-tion, the bandages and dressings,were found to be considerablytinged. with-blood, although notenough to make the surgeons openthem, and the patient complainedof experiencing a considerable

degree of pain. The pulse 80, andrather feeble.29th. There has been a good

deal of bleeding during this day andthe last night. The foot is ex-

tremely painful. Bowels open.Pulse 80.

. 30th. No pain, warmth, or sen-sation in the foot whatever. Thetoes have assumed a gangrenousand livid appearance, and a smallblack vesicle has arisen upon themiddle of the foot, just above thetoes. There is a dull, heavy look inthe eyes of the patient, having adelirious appearance, although heacts and talks collectedly. - Thepulse is quick, weak, and intermit-ting, and the whole of the symp-toms are very unfavourable.

Carbonat. Potassœ ij.Ag. Fontan, viij. -

Tr. Opii. M. XL.Syr. Simplex. iij. M. Capiat

œger. j. c. Cochl. Succi. Limon.4ta. quaque hora. ,

A warm poultice to be applied tothe foot. ’

31st. The foot has, to-day, insome degree recovered its sensation,a touch being now felt, althoughotherwise quite free from pain.’Pulse 96, quick, and stronger thanyesterday. The wildness of lookhas also disappeared.

This operation was performed bythe assistant-surgeon (Mr. GUTII-R IE) before the surgeons met at the’usual hour, (about half-past twelveo’clock,) and, in the absence ofalmost all the pupils, although it,was half-past eleve?i before the pa-tient was brought in. The opera-tor doubtless had good reasons forthis, but the pupils who were ab-sent were not quite pleased thatthey were thus deprived of the

sight of the operation, and theusual remarks of the surgeons, insuch cases.

ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL.

Friday, August 27. Mr. Ew-BANK operated this morning forstone in the bladder. ’

The patient had laboured underthe disease for several years, andwas so great a sufferer by it, thathe had the appearance of being atleast ten years older than he reallywas (49).

Mr. EWBANK chose the highoperation, and having placed thepatient upon a table, with the trunkof the body inclining backwards,he made an incision directly down-wards, two inches and a hdlf in

Page 2: ST. GEORGE'S HOSPITAL

318

length, to within half - an inch ofthe pubes, through the integu-.nients-: he then, by depressingthe handle of a catheter, previouslyintroduced - into the bladder, wasenabled to make a small hole intothat viscus, without wounding theperitoneum, which, at this place,does not cover it ; and afterwardsslit up the neck of the bladder witha probe-pointed bistoury, guidedby the finger. A considerable de-gree of difficulty was found in ex-tracting the stone, and the woundin the bladder was obliged to beenlarged before it could be effected.The operation lasted, in the whole,nine minutes and a half.

POISON AND THE NEW

STOMACH-PUMP.

Mr. Robert Skellern, aged abouttwenty-six years, residing threemiles and a half from town, andwho had been long confined, andreduced to the lowest state of de-bility and emaciation, by a painfuldisease, had administered to him,through the mistake of the nurse-tender, on Sunday night last, at

about ten p. m., one ounce and ahalf of the acetous tincture of

opium. This mistake was no soonerdiscovered than the unfortunatepatient, with agonized feelings, re-quested to be conveyed immedi-ately to Dublin, in order to havethe aid of his professional attend-ant Mr. Hewson, of No. 17,French-street. The patient reach-ed town at twelve o’clock; -at thistime the poison was strongly mani-festing itself on him. A solutionof-ten grains of the sulphat of cop-per was administered, and attempts i

F were made to excite the action ofvomiting by irritating the fauceswith a quill and the finger. This,however, took place very imper-fectly, so that only a mouthful ortwo were thrown up. The symp.toms of the poison were -every mo-ment gaining ground. In half anhour another dose of the sulphat ofcopper was poured down his throat;for. at this time he was nearly in.capable of Bwallowing. This doseseemed to be productive of evenless good effect than the first incausing an evacuation of the sto-mach, which seemed to have en-tirely lost all its contractile powers.The case now appeared to bea!to-gether hopeless—all the vital pow-ers were sinking to the lowest ebb-the extremities were cold-thepulse-could not be felt at the wrist- the body was bedewed with acold, clammy sweat vision had

failed—delirium had set in---andthe countenance had collapsed andassumed a deadly paleness, so thatto the bystanders he appeared atthe point of expiring. Finding thatthe above-mentioned powerfuleme-tic had totally failed, and as a per-severance in it would only tend tohasten the.case to a fatal termina

t tion, Mr. Hewson now determined,L asa last resource, on trying Mr.f Juke’s lately invented apparatusfor extracting poisons from the sto-mach, which he had fortunatelyprocured, and with a success equallyfortunate and unexpected, the nau-seous contents of the stomach werequickly withdrawn, and in the sameproportion the patient began to re-vive. Mr. HEWSON continued theprocess until the stomach appearedto be completely cleansed, and noother effects of the poison showedthemselves, except those that werethe result of a small portion of it