Antiseptic surgery : an address delivered at St. Thomas's Hospital : with the subsequent debate to which are added a short statement of the theory of the antiseptic method, a description of the materials employed in carrying it out, and some applications of the method to operations and injuries in different regions of the body, and to wounds received in war / by William MacCormac.

Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Antiseptic surgery : an address delivered at St. Thomas's Hospital : with the subsequent debate to which are added a short statement of the theory of the antiseptic method, a description of the materials employed in carrying it out, and some applications of the method to operations and injuries in different regions of the body, and to wounds received in war / by William MacCormac. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    In the majority of cases the granulations surround the tube, penetrate it, and finally replace it. Where the secre- tion is copious, which is unusual in aseptic wounds, the tube may soften and be discharged into the dressings. If com- pletely surrounded by a coagulum, it remains without change for fourteen days or even longer. This, however, amongst 200 cases was only seen in a single instance. In contact with dead tissue the drainage tube remains unaltered. Tables of 131 cases of operation occurring from April to October 1879 are given, with full details. 3 were fatal, —one an amputation of thigh from septicaemia existing before admission; a second from pneumonia in a man of 70, from whom an immense tumour of neck had been excised; a third fatal result was in a weak child whose hip was excised; death occmring in 6 hours from collapse. None of these deaths could be properly connected in any way with the method of wound-treatment. In 101 instances recovery took place after one dressing, generally without rise of temperature, and, except in 6 cases, without suppuration. The advantages of such a plan of treatment, and of having to dress cases of operation only once as a rule, are so evident as not to need enumeration. In only 12 per cent, of these cases was there a rise of temperature, due to what Volkmann calls aseptic fever, that is a condition in which though the temperature be above normal, there is no other indication of constitutional disturb- ance, the patient appears to be quite well, and the progress and aseptic condition of the wound are not interfered with. In the remaining 27 cases two or three dressings were required, but the greater part of the wounds healed in all by first intention. With the exception of the case of septicaemia mentioned, there was no wound-disease of any kind, nor was the aseptic progress of healing ever interfered with. fetich long-applied dressings have a peculiar cheesy smell