New method of amputating the hip-joint / by Mr Newman.

  • Newman, Edward.
Date:
[1876]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: New method of amputating the hip-joint / by Mr Newman. 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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    Reprinted from “THE GLASGOW MEDICAL JOURNAL, October, 1670. NEW METHOD OF AMPUTATING AT THE HIP-JOINT. By Mr. NEWMAN, House Surgeon, Western Infirmary, Glasgow. The various expedients, resorted to for the temporary arrest of hsemorrhage during operation, whether it be the grasp of an assistant, the Petit tourniquet, or Esmarsh’s ' elastic band, are all easily and effectually employed to stop the flow of blood in operations upon the extremities, when the seat of the operation is sufficiently low down to allow of their application, without interfering with the free use of the knife. Thus, in an amputation upon the upper or lower extremity, say at the elbow or knee, the pressure is easily applied above these points. But it is otherwise in amputa- tion at the shoulder or hip ; the tourniquet, in whatever form, is inapplicable, the incisions being made so high up that it is impossible to apply it, and digital compression of the artery, in either case, cannot be depended upon ; so that fear of incontrollable haemorrhage always presents itself to the surgeon. So much so was this the case, that at one time it was advised that the femoral artery, in cases of hip-joint amputation, should be ligatured before the operation was begun. Sir A. Cooper, after mentioning several cases of this operation performed by Larry, Guthrie, and others, without previous ligature of the main artery, goes on to say: