Surgical tracts, containing a treatise upon ulcers of the legs ; in which former methods of treatment are candidly examined, and compared with one more rational and safe; effected without rest and confinement : together with hints on a successful method of treating some scrophulous tumors; and the mammary-abscess, and sore nipples of lying-in women / by Michael Underwood, M.D.

  • Underwood, Michael, 1736-1820.
Date:
MDCCLXXXVIII [1788]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Surgical tracts, containing a treatise upon ulcers of the legs ; in which former methods of treatment are candidly examined, and compared with one more rational and safe; effected without rest and confinement : together with hints on a successful method of treating some scrophulous tumors; and the mammary-abscess, and sore nipples of lying-in women / by Michael Underwood, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    cefs may go on better, and if it fucceed, far more fafely, with moderate exercife than by abfolute reft, as the cure is likely to be more lafting. We know how much can be done, even in the foul air of an hofpital, under the hands of experienced pra<^itioners, in fome very bad cafes; though this is certainly fometimes prevented by the clofenefs of the place, or the patient accidentally taking a fever.* If thefe rilks could be avoided by the patient being, with fafety, permitted to take as much exercife a part of the day, as might maintain him during his cure, perhaps now and then a limb, or a life might be faved; or, at Icaft, the attempt, it is hoped, might be juftified. But after all that can be faid, the ncceffity of am- putation, in fome cafes, cannot be difputed ; but I am daily more perfuaded, there is good reafon to, hope fuch will not often occur, after this method Ihall have been for fome time adopted. For patients will then have been informed, that fore legs are cured without confinement from their families or labor, and that fo cured, they will not be afterwards liable to return, but from the fame caufes that pro- duced them at firft. Thefe confiderations will, pro- bably, encourage mofl patients to feek advice very * Befide thefe dlfadvantages, there is another very common in hofpitals ; which is the cuftom of taking off the dreffings from fore legs, fometimes an hour or more before they are drcffed up again. The bad effeiSts of this praftice muft be evident to every man, but will be more fo, by comparifon, upon leaving it o& foon,