Epoch-making books in British surgery. VI, Johnson's Ambrose Parey / by Sir D'Arcy Power, K.B.E., F.S.A.
- Power, D'Arcy, Sir, 1855-1941
- Date:
- 1928
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Epoch-making books in British surgery. VI, Johnson's Ambrose Parey / by Sir D'Arcy Power, K.B.E., F.S.A. Source: Wellcome Collection.
10/14 (page 186)
![(which I judged unfit) troubled my thoughts ; and I feared that the next day I should finde them dead or at the point of death by the poyson of the wound, whom I had not dressed with the scalding oyle. Therefore I rose early in the morning, I visited my patients and beyound expectation I found such as I had dressed with a digestive onely, free from vehemencie of paine, to have had good rest and that their wounds were not inflamed nor tumifyed but, on the contrary, the others that were burnt with the scalding oyle were feaverish, tormented with much paine and the parts about their wounds were swolne. When I had many times tryed this in divers others I thought this much, that neither I, nor any other, should ever cauterize any wounded with Gunshot.” Thus began a revolution in the treatment of gunshot wounds, not all at once though, for the method was not generally adopted, and Pare himself preferred a balsam of boiled whelps and earthworms to the simpler dressing which necessity had compelled him to use with such good results. To stop bleeding after amputation he recommends that : “ The ends of the vessells lying hid in the flesh must be taken hold of & drawn, with this instrument [a pair of Crow’s Beak forceps], forth of the muscles where into they presently after the amputation withdrew themselves, as all parts are still used to withdraw themselves, towards their originalls. In performance of this worke you neede take no great care if you, together with the vessells, comprehend some portion of the neighbouring parts, as of the flesh, for hereof will ensue no harme, but the vessells will bee consolidated with the more ease than if they, being bloodlesse parts, should grow together by themselves. To conclude, when you have so drawne them forth binde them with a strong double thred.” “ Verily,” he goes on to say in another chapter, “ I confesse I formerly have used to stanch the bleeding of members after amputation after another manner than that I have a little before mentioned. Whereof I am ashamed and agreived. But what should I doe ? I had observed my maisters, whose methods I entended to follow, alwaies to doe the like ; who thought them¬ selves singularly well appointed to stanch a flux of blood when they were furnished with various store of hot Irons and caustieke medicines which they would use to the dismembred part, now one, then another, as they them¬ selves thought meete. Which thing cannot be spoken or but thought upon without great horror much lesse acted. For this kinde of remedy could not but bringe great and tormenting paine to the patient, seeing such fresh wounds made in the quicke and sound flesh are endewed with exquisite sense. Neither can any caustieke be applyed to nervous bodies but that this horrid impression of the fire will be presently communicated to the inward parts whence horrid symptomes ensue and ofttimes death it selfe. And verily of such as were burnt the third part scarse ever recovered and that with much adoe for that combust wounds difficultly come to cicatrisation ; for by this burning are caused cruell paines whence a Feaver, Convulsion and oft times other accidents worse than these. Adde, hereunto, that when the eschar fell away oft times a new hasmorrhagye ensued for stanching whereof they were forced to use other caustieke and burning Instruments. Neither did these good men know other course so by this repetition there was great losse and waste made of the fleshy and nervous substance of the part. Wherefore I](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30801308_0010.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
