Amputation, an historical sketch : being the subject of the introductory lecture delivered at Netley, in commencing the thirty-first session of the Army Medical School, 1st October, 1875 / by T. Longmore.

Longmore, Sir Thomas, 1816-1895.

Date:: 1876

Credit: Amputation, an historical sketch : being the subject of the introductory lecture delivered at Netley, in commencing the thirty-first session of the Army Medical School, 1st October, 1875 / by T. Longmore. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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$some cases save a man’s life by amputating in the sphacelated part; and about the year 1G17, he tried this mode on a patient who had a mortified leg, and who was so weak that he was sure he would die under the operation from pain and loss of blood, if he amputated in the sound parts. The operation succeeded, and ten weeks afterwards he left the hospital in good health, walking on a wooden leg. From that time Woodall only amputated through the mortified parts; “ so that,” to use his own words, “ where the complaint formerly was, that by reason of great haemorrhage— namely, the large effusion of blood and spirits in the Avorke of their amputations—many of their patients perished under the surgeon’s hands in the very act of amputation, I may, to God’s glory, and justly doe affirme for a truth, that for the space of nere twenty-four yeares I have been a surgeon in the Hospitall of Saint Bartholo- mewes, where I have taken off, and holpen to take off many more than one hundred of legges and armes, besides very many hands and fingers, amongst all which not one of them all hath dyed in the time of their dismembering nor aftenvards through the exceed- ing effusion of blood; and furthermore, I affirme that not above foure of each twenty dismembered but lived to have been healed, notwithstanding Avhatsoever their diseases have been ” (Woodall, Edit. 1639, p. 388). Let us see Avhat influence Park’s discovery exerted at a still later period in England; and for this purpose I will quote the in- structions given for performing an amputation by one of the most experienced, shrewd, and practical military surgeons our country has ever known—viz., Wiseman, the Par6 of England, as he has been called. The Avritings of Wiseman may be referred to now by all military surgeons with advantage. They abound Avith records of cases of gunshot and other injuries, Avhich are related with remarkable accuracy, and the observations upon them are so judicious and practical, that no surgeon can fail to be interested in them, or can study them Avithout benefit. He gained great experience, and distinguished himself as a surgeon, throughout the Civil Wars He only mentions the practice, however, in regard to amputations above the knee, and then evidently anticipates that a surgeon will meet great difficulty in applying it. “Note further, that if the legge be taken off above the knee, there is the more danger, also there is great care to be had to the great veine and artery—namely, that thou take them up, and pierce them thorow, and make strong ligature about them, which must be speedily done, if thou canst do it; but at first, I fear, thou wilt misse; yet be not discouraged, nor stand too fast to seek them.” (Chapter—“Of Wounds and their Cure,” Section—“Of Dis- membering or Amputation.” Edit. 1639, p. 159.) In amputations in general, Woodall recommends strong restrictive powders, vitriol, alum, &c., being ap- plied to the vessels and stum]), together with tight bandaging, for checking luetnor- rhage—indeed, lie adopts very much the same plan of treatment as Gerssdorff. Evidently, from Dr. \\ oodall’s remarks on it, amputation was regarded at the time as a most formidable operation.$