Intravenous injection of saline solution in cases of severe haemorrhage / by Peter Horrocks.

  • Horrocks, Peter, 1853-1909.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Intravenous injection of saline solution in cases of severe haemorrhage / by Peter Horrocks. 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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    I think with those who believe that the heart failed through the fall in the blood-pressure, that this pressure was maintained for some hours by the vaso-motor system, but when this failed a fatal syncope resulted. If this view be correct it is obvious that many such cases may be saved by a timely intravenous injection. I do not think this operation should be done in trivial cases, but I dO' think that where a patient is known to have lost a large quantity of blood, an equal amount, as near as can be calculated, of saline fluid should be injected into the veins,, even though the patient is not in a pulseless condition. I have never seen any harm result from transfusion, except a little suppuration in the wound over the vein, a little pyrexia within two or three days, and a rapid pulse. The latter is obviously physiological, inasmuch as the blood-cor])uscles are so diminished in number, necessitat- ing greater velocity in order to accomplish an equal amount of work in a given time. ' I am sorry that my spare time has been too little to permit me to refer to the work of others on this subject. I have recorded here simply my own experience. I have- not touched upon the question of rectal and subcutaneous injections, which are both interesting and important, but I think they are only useful in the less serious cases. Neither have I had any experience in adding alcohol in any form to the fluid used. Case 1.—E. L—, aged 29, married flve years, one child three years of age, never pregnant since ; no miscarriages. Periods regular to the day, as a rule. Last period five- weeks ; a few days ago began to have pain in the abdo~ men. This got worse, and Mr. L. Stokes of Eltham was called in. He kept her in bed and applied hot flannels and gave a sedative. The pain increased in severity, and the patient became paler. At 7 a.m. Mr Stokes found her blanched. At 9 a.m. I saw the lady at Lee with Mr. Stokes, and her condition was so serious that immediate operation was decided upon. Mr. L. Burroughs kindly