A report of the trial of Cooper v. Wakley, for an alleged libel, taken by shorthand writers employed expressly for the occasion : with an engraving of the instruments, and the position of the patient / together with B. Cooper's "Prefatory remarks" on the evidence, and a copious explanatory appendix, by Thomas Wakley.

Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A report of the trial of Cooper v. Wakley, for an alleged libel, taken by shorthand writers employed expressly for the occasion : with an engraving of the instruments, and the position of the patient / together with B. Cooper's "Prefatory remarks" on the evidence, and a copious explanatory appendix, by Thomas Wakley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    T)o you believe the opcraliun was performed in a manner in which the piihhc have a right to expect such an operation ought to be pcrformeil by a surgeon of Guy's Hospital ? Lord Tentirdcn lie docs not i<now the meaning of that,—the public have a right to expextJ Was it performed with proper skill ? One hardly knows what the public have a right to expect. Mr. Wakley. That is charged, my Lord. Lord Tenterden. Yes, I believe it is,—I see it is. You have a right to put the question. Mr. Wakeley. Do you think the operation was performed in a manner the public have a right to expect from a surgeon of Guy's Hospital l That operation ? That operation? No, I do not. What has been the average time occupied in those operations of lithotomy you have seen ? The average time I suppose to have been about five minutes, taking one with another ; some more and some less. The average time about live minutes? About four or five minutes: I think that is about the average time. How long a period did this operation occupy ? I thought it was nearly an hour, and I believe it was nearly an hour. After the sound and the staft'had been introduced, and after the first incision was made, Mr. Cooper withdrew the staff ? He did not use that sort of staff; {the staff Mr. W. then held in his hand;] he used a straight staff'. He used a straight staff? I have not one wiih me ? Yes, with a knife. When the operator found he could not introduce the forceps on the first at tempt, did he withdraw them, and make another cut with his knife? Yes, surely; and made another cut with his knife. Without instruments you mean; the staffnot being introduced ? Yes, surely. Lord Tenterden. After failing to introduce the forceps the first time, he made another cut without the staff being then in. Mr. Wukley. Did you ever see a similar thing done ? I have seen a great many operations, but I never took any particular notice of that; it is not usual to do it. Lord Tenterden, To do what? To make a cut without a director. Mx.Wdkley. For what purpose is this used in theoperation? It is generally used— Lord Tenterden. What is the name of it, Sir? Mr. Wakley. Scoop, my Lord. (TFi/!nfis.s.) I have always understood it was used to extract fragments of a stone that might be crumbled off in the extraction of it from . the bladder. VVere there any fragments in this case ? No—no, 1 think not; not that I ever saw. Lord Tenterden. You saw no fragments ? I saw no fragments, my Lord. Mr. Wakley. What has been the longest time you have seen any other opera- tion of lithotomy last ? I am not aware that I ever saw the most difficult case last more than twenty minutes; or to be witliin the mark, twenty-five minutes or half an hour. I could not say to a few minutes. Lord Tenterden. You are not aware that you have seen it half au hour? I think not, niy Lord ; I have no recollection of one. Mr. Wakley. You have stated. Sir, that the average time of performing the operation is about five minutes? -I think so; I believe that will be found to be about the average time. You have also stated, that you have witnessed operations of lithotomy that have lasted from twenty to twenty-five minutes? Yes. In those cases were there any evident causes why the operation should last so long? Undoubtedly. What were those causes, Sir ? The causes may have been many. I have seen it arising from the stone being large, and it would have been dangerous to have made the wo\md larger fur fear of wounding the rectum ; and the time has been taken up in extracting the stone gradually, perhaps for fear of tearing the parts ; more to dilate than to tear. Lord Tenterden. The danger of making the wound larger, that of injury to the rectum ? Yes; for fear of injury to the rectum.