A system of practical surgery / by William Fergusson.

  • William Fergusson
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A system of practical surgery / by William Fergusson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    handle- the blade is about half an inch broad, and sharpened at the point like a turner’s gouge. Both handle and blade are short, to enable me to rest a finger on the surface near where the instru- ment is applied, and so prevent any sudden plunge, such as might happen were it of greater length. The round handle is kept m the palm, whilst the point of the fore-finger directs the scooping move- Perhaps there is no department of modern surgery so characteristic of improvement as that connected with the removal of dead or dis- eased portions of bone. Even after the saw or forceps has been used to perfection, the isolated part may not be easily taken away. It the fingers or common forceps (fig. 6) will not suffice for this, then such an instrument as is depicted in figure 18 may be very useful. This will be recognized by the seniors of the present race of surgeons, as the usual accompaniment of the others which formed the ordinary pocket dressing-case. In modern times such a case is rarely made so comprehensive in its contents, and this instrument is generally laid aside for special purposes, although it is often yet used for removing soiled dressings or other purposes, for which the fingers or common dissecting forceps are generally applied. In my opinion the common forceps will do all that may be required of them, as regards dressing a sore or wound, but when it is necessary to dip deep into a narrow space they may be of service, especially in removing objects which may be somewhat firmly fixed. This instrument is about six inches in length, with blades in proportion, but for the removal of portions ot bone when some force is required, if these seem slender, I use an instrument of greater strength, of similar shape and construction In certain instances the elevator (fig. 19), which figured in the old Fig. 19. trepanning cases, is of service in loosening pieces of necrosed bone, and when tumours are to be removed from the osseous structure, as in those in the maxillae, especially in the upper jaw, a forceps con- structed, as is here displayed (fig. 20), six or eight inches long, will be found of great utility. . . o .. __ All of these instruments will be more or less useful in dissections and in operations on the dead body, but there are various instru- ments and apparatus in constant service in operations on the living body, which are but rarely used either in dissections, or in operations on the subject, with which, nevertheless, the young surgeon require