[The first lines of the] practice of surgery : being an elementary work for students, and a concise book of reference for practitioners ; part I. general surgical subjects ; part II. particular surgical subjects : with nine plates / by Samuel Cooper, member of the Royal College of Surgeons ; fellow of the Medical Society of London ; and author of Critical reflections on the cataract.

  • Samuel Cooper
Date:
1815
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [The first lines of the] practice of surgery : being an elementary work for students, and a concise book of reference for practitioners ; part I. general surgical subjects ; part II. particular surgical subjects : with nine plates / by Samuel Cooper, member of the Royal College of Surgeons ; fellow of the Medical Society of London ; and author of Critical reflections on the cataract. 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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    At present, I believe, we must rest contented with what is ap- parently a fact, that astringent sedative applications made to the surface of the body do operate on the process of inflam- mation beneath. What renders it still more probable that astringents and sedatives affvct the vascular action in inflammation, is the power which many external applications have of exciting the action of the absorbents I have mentioned that in inflam- mation there is an impediment to absorption. How useful, therefore, must the employment of external discutient appli- cations prove in cases where the extravasation of blood and lymph into the interstices of the inflamed part is exceedingly copious! hence, lotions containing salammoniac, in inflam* xnations arising from contusions, concussions, and sprains, are generally more efficacious than astringents and emmollients. In such cases, when the inflammation is slight, and the swel- ling and extravasation considerable, even embrocations and liniments are preferable to any kind of lotion. One of the best discutient lotions is what is employed at St. Bartholomew's hospital: R amnion, muriatre ozss aceti et spirit, vin. rectif. sing, lb] M. Another very good one is com- posed of aq. ammon. acet. alone, or mixed with equal parts of spirits oi wine and distilled water* WARM APPLICATIONS. It is curious that inflammations should sometimes be bene- fited by cold local applications, and sometimes by warm emol- lient poultices and fomentations. As practice sufficiently confirms ttie truth of the observation, and theory might lead us into hypothesis, I conceive it will be no loss to the reader to omit all speculations on the subject. Although in the gen- erality of cases cold astringent lotions are preferable to warm applications, yet it sometimes happens that they do not have their usual go d effect, either from the singularity of the pa- tient's constitution, or from the structure and situation of the inflamed part. The welled testicle and the incipient stage of acute ophthalmy receive more bentfit from emolient fomen- tations and poultices than from astringt-nts. Inflammations not admitting of a cure without suppuration must be treated with emollients, for the sooner the matter is formed the sooner the inflammation ends. The inflammation attending contused wounds and the boil is of this sort. That originating in fevers generally proceeds to suppuration, and ought to be treated on the emollient plan.