Correspondence with T. Spencer Wells... on ovariotomy.

  • Wells Spencer, 1818-1897.
Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Correspondence with T. Spencer Wells... on ovariotomy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Henbury, Nr. Macclesfield. 20 March, 1880. Dear Sir, Much diflBculty was experienced in obtaining the “ British Me- dical Journal ” you referred to. I have now perused it;—and the extracts from one of your Lectures which you were so good as to for- ward. Myattention has also been given to “Bryant on Ovariotomy:” “Hutchinson on Surgical Diseases oeWomen:” “Kiwisch on THE Diseases of the Ovaries Dr. Thomas Keith’s Papers. Your book on “ Diseases of the Ovaries,” published in 1865: and your second work, with the same title. Published in 1872. Likewise to other Medical testimony on the subject. Your great skill and success in performing operations for removal of Ovarian tumours has been proclaimed, and published, in Newspapers, Periodicals, The House of Peers, etc , etc., etc,, as “ The Crowning Triumph of Vivisection : ”—“ the result of Experimentation for Surgical purposea”—“ One of the most splendid Triumphs of Modern Surgical Art and Modern Philan- tropy.”—“ With the New Light gained by Vivisection, three out of four have recovered, and he has thus saved the lives of between five and six hundred Women.” The Bishop of Peterborough is reported to have asserted Ih Debate in the House of Peers, on the 15th July last,—that,— “ A London medical man of the highest eminence, with a most extensive practice among female patients, owes a Discovery by which he has saved hundreds of lives to a series of Experiments performed upon a dozen Rabbits.” The Times of 16 July, 1879, states the Bishop of Peter- borough said :—“ One of the most eminent London Surgeons lately told him that he had dealt most successfully with a very difficult case—one which had been opprobriu7H medicorum—and by his Discovery hundreds, he thought he might say thousands, of human lives would be preserved. The means by which the Discovery was made was the making of experiments upon the lives of 12 Rabbits. The point which his friend wished to ascer- tain was whether the presence of sutures inside the intestines* or near them did or did not result in dangerous inflammation. ’ * Note.—Bic,