On the claims of priority in the exsection and disarticulation of the lower jaw : with an appendix containing the report of several operations performed / by Geo. C. Blackman.

  • George Curtis Blackman
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the claims of priority in the exsection and disarticulation of the lower jaw : with an appendix containing the report of several operations performed / by Geo. C. Blackman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/20 (page 4)
    Now, we would respectfully ask the author of the above, why was not the operation of Dr. Deadrick, in 1810, “ a methodical operation?’ Perhaps, however, Prof. Carnochan has never seen Dr. Deadrick’s report of it in the American Medical Recorder for July, 1823, vol. vi. p. 516 ; and for his benefit, as well as for those who are denied the privilege of consulting the pages of that jour¬ nal, we will insert in this place that portion of it which is descrip¬ tive of the operation. The disease for which it was performed had invaded almost entirely the left side of the inferior maxillary bone. Internally it occupied nearly the whole of the mouth, and for three weeks previously, the patient experienced great diffi¬ culty in swallowing, and occasionally was almost suffocated during sleep. Externally, the tumor had the appearance of a wen of considerable size, &c., &c. The account of the operation we give in his own words : “ An incision was commenced under the zygomatic process, and continued on the tumor, in the direction of the bone, to nearly an inch beyond the centre of the chin. A second incision was lj^kun about midway, at right angles with the first, and extending a short distance down the neck. The integuments were now separated from their connection with the tumor, &c., ami the bone was sawed off immediately at the angle and centre of the chin. I saw nothing of the parotid or sub-maxillary glands ; they probably shared the fate of the teeth. [Dr, D. states in another part of his paper that he presumed the pressure of the tumor occasioned their absorption.] The wound was united in the usual manner, and the boy had a speedy and happy recovery. The tumor was cartilaginous, and on being cut exhibited a sur¬ face as white and smooth as polished ivory.” Thirteen years afterwards this patient was in excellent health. This certainly looks very much like “ a methodical operation,” and one would have supposed that, with such facts within his reach, an American Professor would have been slow to yield to a foreigner the credit so justly due to one of his own countrymen. That Dr. Deadrick is entitled to this credit will be more apparent after perusing the account of Dupuytren’s first operation. We believe that the earliest notice of this is to be found in the Thesis sustained by Lisfranc on the 26th Aug, 1813, before the Faculty of Medicine in Paris. The 29th Vol. of the “ Die. dcs Scien. Med.” was published in 1818, and at page 432 may be found an extract descriptive of the operation taken from the above Thesis, by F. Ribes, to whom was entrusted the article on the “Machoire.” The details given by Lisfranc, who was present at the operation,