On the co-operation of surgeons in the making of surgical history / by James P. Warbasse.

  • Warbasse, James Peter, 1866-1957.
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the co-operation of surgeons in the making of surgical history / by James P. Warbasse. 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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    country we have an institution which represents the highest plane of scientific advancement, and an index of which adds manifold to the value of every bit of new medical knowledge which may develop in any corner of the world. A mighty locomotive is a thing of circumscribed usefulness without a road-bed and a sys- tem of rails. In our surgical work there is a vast amount of valuable knowledge, inaccessible and unused because of defects in the channels of transmission. The most valuable studies of cases come from hospitals, for here an abundance of material and opportunities for careful study make these institutions to lend themselves particularly to these ends. Much can be done to improve their histories and the indexing of their cases. The office of historian should take no minor place. Furthermore, a large number of hospital patients after operation find their way into other hospitals, often for the relief of some condition related to their first operation. Thus, hos- pitals are issuing reports of malignant tumors extirpated and the patient discharged cured, while the patient is being operated upon elsewhere for recurrence. Hernias are being reported cured, while in some other institution a secondary operation is being done or the patient is being fitted with a truss. While one surgeon is discoursing upon his improved method of closing the abdom- inal wound, another is operating upon his case for the cure of ventral hernia. Thus grave imperfections exist at the very source of our best information. The writer would urge upon such institutions the adoption of a broader co-operation. He would have all hospitals supplied with a blank form, to be filled out and sent to the hospital in which the patient had previously been. This blank should be filled out by the historian at the bedside of the patient while he is taking the history, and sent to the office to be mailed to the other hospital from which the patient had formerly been dis- charged. This would apply particularly to cases which had been subjected to operation; but many other conditions, of