Observations on the advantages of exposing wounds to the air after capital operations; with some remarks upon the removal of scirrhus tumours from the breast / Communicated in a letter to Samuel Bard.

  • David Hosack
Date:
1813
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the advantages of exposing wounds to the air after capital operations; with some remarks upon the removal of scirrhus tumours from the breast / Communicated in a letter to Samuel Bard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    tiisely from the whole surface of the stump, even from the vessels of the bones. As it was not possible to detect any particular arteries from y ?nce the hemorrhage proceeded, I resolved to restrain the discharge, at first, by moderately tightening the tourni¬ quet for a few minutes, and afterwards to leave the stump exposed to the air until the bleeding should totally cease. I accordingly directed the persons present, excepting my as¬ sistants, to withdraw into another room ; the windows to be raised, and some wine to be given to the patient, who was somewhat faint and exhausted. The stump was then expo¬ sed to a stream of fresh cool air ; the hemorrhage immedi¬ ately abated, and in a short time totally ceased, when the tourniquet was entirely taken from the limb. After thus exposing the stump to the air about half an hour, (and, as I find, exposing myself to the censure of some of the by-standers, who, with watch in hand, counted every minute that passed,*) I proceeded by means of a sponge and warm water, to remove all the coagulated blood from its sur¬ face ; no further hemorrhage ensued: the wound was then dressed in the ordinary manner; the patient conveyed to his bed; the limb lightly covered with a sheet, and a tour¬ niquet loosely placed upon the thigh. An anodyne of fifty drops of liquid laudanum was then administered, and a direc- * Having been severely censured by some of the surgeons of the village, for keeping my patient upwards of forty minutes on the operating table, [ feel myself constrained to ask the same question Mr. Bromfield, of St. George’s Hospital, ad¬ dressed to a pupil who pulled out his watch at the moment the Doctor was about to commence his operation, “ What, 3ir, do you intend to measure the move¬ ments of my hand, as you would a horse’s feet,” adding, “ Sir, let me tell you, that that operation is always soon enough done that is well enough done.” Mac¬ beth, when about to commit murder, says, u -—-———- ’twere well It were done quickly.” But this should never foe the surgeon’s motto.
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