Reports in operative surgery : series the third / by Richard G.H. Butcher.

  • Butcher, Richard G. H., 1819-1891
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports in operative surgery : series the third / by Richard G.H. Butcher. 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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    ance and in strength, and she sleeps now without an opiate; appetite sharp for animal food; no sweats; pulse 86; bowels and kidneys acting regularly. The limb has not been dis- turbed at all, and it rests quite in a state of repose. The oedema of the leg has vanished, proving the correctness of the view already expressed as to its presence; there is no swelling nor redness; no cramps, no startings, and no undue force acting anywhere; the pressure from behind forwards is so gentle, so accurately regulated, that all secretion from the lateral wounds finds its way forwards, and is there sopped up with a piece of sponge as quickly as it appears. 22nd. Owing to the patient complaining of “scalding” at the sides of the wound, I was induced to remove the dressinors; crowds of maggots were crawling about, giving occasion to the uneasiness referred to. The patient was placed under chloro- form, and I removed all the dressings, holding up the limb my- self, steadily and rigidly, with my right hand grasping the thigh, and the left the leg above the ankle, keeping the former gently backwards, and the latter rather forwards, with a com- pressed force pressing the cut surfaces together; and thus their adjustment was undisturbed; the box, prepared with fresh pil- lows, &c., was again slipped beneath, and all readjusted as before, with the greatest comfort to the little patient; when fully aroused from the effects of the chloroform, an opiate was administered. 23rd. Slept all night; no pain or annoyance of any kind; no sweats; no restlessness; pulse 80, soft; appetite good; healthy purulent discharge freely from the lateral wounds, an- terior one healed. 25th. Let down side splints, and replaced folds of linen, and cut out all stitches; transverse wound entirely healed, and la- teral ones looking quite healthy, with florid granulations, and pus not over-abundant; sleeps and eats well; union between the bones become quite steady. February 6th. Going on most steadily in every respect, on the 18th, however, was compelled to open a very large abscess, extending up along thebiceps muscle; it gradually improved up to April 20th, when suddenly, in opposition to the most care- ful dressing, the equable support of pads, &c., the abscess seemed to pass gradually upwards, even to the very trochanter, with distinct fluctuations in front of it; by the introduction of a probe, it was evident that this was one uninterrupted track from the external wound, and having confidence in Chassaignac’s method of treatment, according to his directions I conducted a draining tube from one end to the other of the thigh, so as
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