Volume 1

The science and art of surgery : a treatise on surgical injuries, diseases, and operations / by John Eric Erichsen.

  • John Eric Erichsen
Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The science and art of surgery : a treatise on surgical injuries, diseases, and operations / by John Eric Erichsen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

    116/1274 (page 84)
    The causes of death in the uncomplicated cases are equally instructive: — OLD 1 ANTISEPTIC CAUSE OF DKATHt TREATMENT. TREATMENT. 377 Ca.ses. 321 Cases. 72 0 Septicaemia ....... 19 1 Erysipelas ....... 2 1 0 1 -I J fOlillcl olXlipitJA. .... . a 1 1 Secondary hasmorrhage . . . . . 3 1 Old age 2 1 Shock G .s Total 110 The disease classed here as pysemia simplex is blood poisoning, arising from a suppurating wound without the formation of secondary abscesses. It would be classed by many authors as septic infection. Eesults even superior to these have been obtained at Newcastle-ou-Tyne Infirmary by the use of antiseptics. Frederick Page has published the results of all the amputations performed in that institution from 1878 to 1891. They amount to 687, with a death-rate of only 8 per cent. The cases are not classified in the way above mentioned. If this were done, the death-rate in the uncomplicated cases would be probably less than 4 per cent. The following are the statistics of amputations performed in University College Hospital during the twenty years 1871 to 1890 inclusive. They are divided into four periods of five years each. In the first period the majority of the cases Avere treated without antiseptics. In the last period every case was dressed witl^some efficient antiseptic dressing. The particular antiseptic used varied in different cases. Many stumps were most successfully treated by lasting dressings of iodoform or salicylic wool. 1871- -1875. 1876- -1880. 1881- II -1885. 1886- -1890. OASES. DIED. CASES. i DIE ] CASES. DIED. CASES. DIED. ; Uncomplicated cases:— For injury, primary „ secondary . . . For disease 33 10 58 10 1 11 22 ' 66 1 2 2 15 23 1 63 2 ' 1 1 9 j 15 3 52 0 0 2 Total 101 22 96 19 sr 12 70 2 Deaths per cent. 22 19-5 ■ 13-8 2-85; CunqMcatcd cases:— Double amputations . . . Other fatal injuries Amputation during tetanus . . „ „ scpticicmia „ ,, erysipel.as . . „ „ gangrene In patients suffering from grave constitutional disease, phthisis, Bright's disease, albumenoid disease, &c. .... G 2 1 1 9 3 2 1 0 5 ■ 3 2 1 1 5 1 1 3 1 ^ I 1 1 • 2 1 1 3 7 3 1 1 2 2 O Totals of all Amputations . 120 33 107 26 94 17 85 Deaths per cent. 1 27-0 24-29 18-08 11-75