Observations on some local anæsthetics / by Dyce Duckworth and Richard Davy.

  • Dyce Duckworth
Date:
[1862]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on some local anæsthetics / by Dyce Duckworth and Richard Davy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    applied as a therapeutic agent in five cases of neuralgia occurring in females, and in every case great relief has been afforded. We would further call attention to the fact in practical medicine, that the local application of chloroform and its vapour abrogates a neuralgia, while the normal sensibility is unaffected. Professor Simpson mentioned to us that he had frequently made use of the vapour of chloroform to allay the extremely harassing pain attendant upon carcinoma uteri; the remedy very often an¬ swered its purpose well, but could not, however, be implicitly relied upon, for its beneficial influence was found to be irregular ; the reason of this has not yet been explained. Professor Simpson also bore testimony to the very good results obtained by the local application of carbonic acid in vapour to painful or ulcerated parts ; and mentioned the desideratum, which yet exists, of obtaining carbonic acid in a solid form, capable of passing into vapour. 5. Ice as a Local Ancesthetic, introduced into Practice by Dr J. Arnott. Case 1. Patient admitted into Guy’s Hospital, suffering from housemaids’ knee. During her stay in the ward she fell; the bursa patellae became acutely inflamed, tension increased, with throbbing, and pus had evidently formed in its cavity. A mixture of crushed ice and salt, in the proportion of two parts of the former to one of the latter, was accurately applied over the bursa, and main¬ tained in that position for ten minutes. The skin became white, but not painful; assumed very much the appearance of bacon, and felt exceedingly indurated. The girl was very nervous, and covered her face apprehensively. Mr Davy (dresser to the case) made a free opening with the bistoury; and on his telling the patient that the necessary operation was over, she was much surprised and delighted, having experienced neither inconvenience from the ap¬ plication of the freezing mixture, nor pain from the incision. Case 2. Woman admitted into Guy’s Hospital, suffering from strangulated femoral hernia, but without any urgent symptoms. Ice and salt mixture (as before) was locally applied over the tumour, and maintained for twenty-four hours. During this interval the usual unfavourable symptoms of strangulation occurred, and the taxis failing, the operation for reduction was at once proceeded with (no chloroform was given) ; Gimbernat’s ligament was divided, the bowel returned, and a suture introduced. The necessary manipu¬ lations did not give the patient any pain whatever, and she made an excellent and rapid recovery. Case 3. Mr Duckworth had a condensed fatty tumour on the inner side of the left thigh. He determined to have it removed, and the operation was put into the hands of Mr Hakes of Liverpool. It was decided that a freezing mixture should be employed, before making the necessary incision and dissection. A lump of ice was placed on a board, and finely crushed under a glass roller. Four parts of this were stirred with the same quantity of common salt, and the whole (about two ounces) was put into a cambric hand¬ kerchief, and applied over the tumour, and for a radius of three inches around. At first a feeling of cold ensued, followed by
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