Observations on the history of the cure of popliteal aneurism by compression / by the editor.

Date:
[©1846?]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the history of the cure of popliteal aneurism by compression / by the editor. 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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    tlicy look with anxiety for some means of averting dangers, the reality of which they have but too often had reason to lament. Accordingly we find Mr. Hunter himself, Sir Evcrard Home, Sir William Blizard, and several other distinguished surgeons, both in these countries and on the Continent, endeavouring by various contrivances to compress the artery from without, with a view of taking off the force of the circulation from the sac, loilhout inflicting any injury on the diseased vessel. Their attempts, however, have not been attended with success, and the causes of failure are too well understood to render it necessary to insist upon them in this place. And that compression was tried, even in this city, so early as 1815, we learn from the following paragraph in the essay from which we have just quoted:— alluding to a patient of Mr. Dease's, labouring under popliteal aneurism, Sir Philip says, A few days before Mr. Adrian had, by a contrivance similar to Sir W. Blizard's, endeavoured to compress the artery from without; but by no force that could be borne was he able to stop the pulsation at the ham,—the attempt was therefore abandoned. The operation was performed by Dr. Dcase, at 12 o'clock, on Monday, the 27th February(a). What we are, however, anxious to establish is, that the first successfid case of popliteal aneunsm treated by compression in these countries, teas in the practice of the late Mr. Todd. At the meeting of the British Association held at Cork, in 1843, Professor Harrison recorded a case of popliteal aneurism cured by compression, to which, as there are some points of in- terest connected with it which have not been made public, we shall presently allude, but in which communication he distinctly stated his conviction of the then popular mode of treatment being but the revival of that proposed and successfully carried out by the late Mr. Todd. At a discussion which took place at the Surgical Society (a) Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, vol. vii., part 2, pp. 352 and 368; see also John Bell's Principles of Surgery, for an account of the various instruments then in use lor arresting haemorrhage, and compressing arteries.