Useful hints to those who are afflicted with ruptures : on the nature, cure, and consequences of the disease ; and on the empirical practices of the present day / by T. Sheldrake.

Sheldrake, Timothy, active 1783-1806

Date:: 1804

Credit: Useful hints to those who are afflicted with ruptures : on the nature, cure, and consequences of the disease ; and on the empirical practices of the present day / by T. Sheldrake. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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$About two years ago, a man introduced himself to se- veral gentlemen m the profession of surgery, on pretence of sohcitrng their patronage for a method, he said he had invented, ot malung trusses, and for which h.e intended to obtam a patent. One P-entlcman, from wliom I have this mtormation, qnestioned him minutely respeetino- his sup- posed mvention, but could obtain no other inform'^ition than that the pecuhar advantage of this, his supposed invention was, that the springs were very strong, and being made to go all round the body, and fasten without any straps: the surgeon gave his opinion of this invention as far as the de- scription was intelHgible, and added, that the particular point, on which he seemed to lay the most stress, was not new; tt was well knoxcn to have been executed by ]Vrr. Squire many years before, and its success had not proved equal to the sanguin(i expectations that had been formed of it. To this the projector answered, as all people do, who have formed schemes whicli they do not wish to have contradicted, th;it, although IVIr. Squire's invention bad not succeeded, he knew Ms xdoulcl; and, as he found this gentleman was not likely to become either a tool or a dupe to his project, he retired mucl'i disappointed, and never returned again. As this person left no mark by which he could be traced, it ca.nnot certainly be known who he was, but, from ^ such an invenition being soon after\vards advertised, and forced into'notice Avith much confidence, n is presumed, he might be the soi-dirumt inventor of New invented Trusses without Straps, said to be made by the King's Patent. However that may be, our business at present is with that inven- tion, as it is most absurdly called, to investigate its merits most accuratej'y, in order to enable those who may be inte- rested to know the truth, to determine whether it is a real inveyition of any utility, or only an artful deception, fa- bricated for tlu i purposes of imposition and fraud. In pursuan ee of this plan, application has been made at the patent o Bice, where it appears, that the ori]y»patent which can be s npposed to be connected Avith such an in- vention, is one with the following title, viz. For a Met! lod of bending Steel, without the assistance of beat; which may be applied to the manufacturing of Sur- gical Instrume, its, and to a variety of other useful purposes. A correct < ;opy of the specification of this patent has been obtained 1 rom the proper office, and is printed verba- tim, as follows, riz. To uU who VI these presents shall come, I, Joseph Egg, of$