Inguinal aneurism cured by tying the external iliac artery in the pelvis / by John Syn Dorsey, M.D.

  • Dorsey, John Syng, 1783-1818.
Date:
[1811]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Inguinal aneurism cured by tying the external iliac artery in the pelvis / by John Syn Dorsey, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    fell asleep. The weather, on the day of the operation and several days after, was very hot. The mercury of the ther- mometer in the patient's room stood at 86° Fahrenheit. Placed between the toes of the aneurismal limb, it rose to 88°; between those of the sound limb 90°; at both knees it stood at 92°. His pulse was 100 and tense. Wednesday 21st, third day after the operation. The sleep procured by the anodyne injection continued all night. In the fore part of the day he was easy; but in the evening his pain returned with considerable fever. He was bled ten ounces and took ten grains of magnesia and as much rhubarb: this with the assistance of a clyster, brought away a large quantity of fasces and flatus, and procured relief of all his pain. The anodyne injection was again administered, and he soon after slept, His pulse 100 and somewhat tense. Thurs&ay, fourth day. He slept all night, and was much bet- ter; being quite free from pain and fever. His pulse 90. He ate some boiled rice with great relish. The wound was exa- mined, and it was found that nearly all of it had united: a little healthy pus surrounded the ligature. The limb was four degrees colder than the sound one. From this time no change of impdrtance occurred until Sun- day, 1st Sept. when the ligature came away; viz. on the four- teenth day after the operation. In a few days more the wound cicatrized, without the occurrence of a single unpleasant symp- tom. On the twentieth day after the operation, his nurse being absent, he arose from bed and walked across the room, and has taken exercise every day since without inconvenience. The tumor in the groin diminishes slowly, and at this time is much reduced in size. Remarks. The operation of tying up the external iliac artery above Poupart's ligament was first performed by Mr. Abernethy, under circumstances in which immediate death was the only alternative. He repeated it afterwards in cases of aneurism stated so high in the femoral artery as to preclude all prospect of a cure by any other means. He performed the operation four times. In the first two instances his patients died; in the succeeding cases they recovered.* Mr. Freer, in * Abernetby's Surgical Observations.