Croup : case of traumatic hemorrhage following tracheotomy, arising from the imperfect form of the tracheal tubes used, and some remarks on the treatment of croup by inhalation of steam, illustrated by cases / by Lewis A. Sayre.

  • Sayre, Lewis A. (Lewis Albert), 1820-1900.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Croup : case of traumatic hemorrhage following tracheotomy, arising from the imperfect form of the tracheal tubes used, and some remarks on the treatment of croup by inhalation of steam, illustrated by cases / by Lewis A. Sayre. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    expectorated. But if we do not see the case until the trachea lias become nearly closed, and suffocation is imminent, then we may be compelled to perform tracheotomy to give immediate relief, but the treatment must be still kept up, in order to pre- vent the new formation. Even in the most formidable cases we may sometimes effect a resolution of the disease by the free inhal- ation of steam, without an operation, as the following case will illustrate : On the 27th of February. I860, 1 was performing a surgical operation in 45th street, assisted by Dr. C. H. Chinch, U. S. A., when a servant came in the room in a state of very great excite- ment and stated that Dr. Morris wished us to come in to Judge Burdsall (a few doors off) imediately, as a little child there was dying. On arriving we found the child asphyxiated and nearly suffocated from false membrane in the trachea. I suggested that tracheotomy should be performed immediately, and that there was no time to lose. Dr. M. Morris who was in attendance stated that he had suggested the operation already, and that Dr. Peters had been there at 4 o'clock A. M. to perform the operation, but that the mother would not consent. I tried to reason with the mother, but she would not consent without the advice of her father, who lived near, and who was immediately sent for, and who arrived in about twenty minutes. After a short conversa- tion he convinced her of the propriety of the operation and she gave her consent. When we went in the room to perform it the child had grown so much worse in these twenty minutes or half hour which had been wasted, that both Drs. Morris and Church opposed the oper- ation as useless, and advised that nothing further should be done. I suggested the use of steam. Dr. Morris stated that he had tried the vapor from a kettle and also warm baths, but with no good result. I then advised that the whole room should be filled with steam, so that every one in it would have to inhale it, and then the child would be compelled to breathe it also; for the child was so very restless, throwing itself about in all directions, that it was impossible to make it inhale vapour in any other way! An injection of brandy and milk was given, and a cloth satu- rated in turpentine applied around the chest, and it was con- cluded that I should return at 2 P. M. to operate, in case the child should be alive.