Historical surgery; or, the progress of the science of medicine: on inflammation, mortification and gunshot wounds.

  • Hunt, John.
Date:
1801
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Historical surgery; or, the progress of the science of medicine: on inflammation, mortification and gunshot wounds. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    in Other refpe6ls in full health and vigour, the change may have a con- trary effeft both on the mind and conflitution, and the powers both of body and mind may fink under the united influence of the operation and fituation, that would furvive the operation under different circum- ftances. I have been induced to make thefe obfervations for the pur- pofe of accounting for an opinion which I flill fufpeft is founded in er- ror ; but if it does happen that people in full health and vigour do more frequently fink under the operation ofamputation in the hofpitals, I wifli 10 (hew that it may depend on local circumffances, and that the want of fuccefs is not to be attributed to the flaie of the conftitu- tion. There is one more argument urged againd the propriety of early am- putation, particularly on the field of battle, which it is neceflary to re- ply to. The flate of the patient’s mind is fuppofed to be unfit for fuch a confli6i. As this is a quedion of fome importance, that I may in this laft indance avoid all fufpicion of mifreprefentation, I fhall give an exacf quotation. Mr. I. Hunter fays “ the fituation they are in at the time from the hurry of mind, makes it here in general to be the very word pra61ice ; it will in general, therefore, be much bet- ter to wait till the inflammation, and all the effefts of both the irrita- tion and inflammation, fhall be tjone off*.” And “If the chances are fo even, where common circumdances in life favour the ampu- tation, how mud it be where they do not.^ how mud it be with a: man, whofe mind isia> the height of agitation, arifing from fatigue, *~l. Hunter on Cun-niot wounds, psge 5G00 • 5 E fear