Hospital statistics of stone in the bladder ... in the Royal Infirmary of Aberdeen ... 20th March, 1838 to 20th March, 1843 / [William Keith].

  • Keith, William, 1802 or 1803-1871
Date:
1844]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hospital statistics of stone in the bladder ... in the Royal Infirmary of Aberdeen ... 20th March, 1838 to 20th March, 1843 / [William Keith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/58 (page 10)
    In lithotomy it will be seen that, of nineteen cases operated on aged from fifty up to seventy-eight, only one died. The principles that have guided me throughout in this operation were arranged and fixed by me before I cut a single patient. My instruments I have modified, perhaps improved, but the principles remain unchanged; receiving an additional proof of their sound- ness from every succeeding case that passes through my hands. These I will, in my next paper, communicate and explain, and then allow the profession to judge whether a closer adherence to sound and fixed rules in operating would not result in far more successful practice. As to lithotrity, I have for upwards of ten years been operating in every suitable case that presented. No accident of any kind has ever occurred in my practice, yet I feel that the operation requires to be much simplified before it can be safely adopted by the whole profession. In this direction I trust I have made some progress, by dispensing with many of the instruments, by doing away with the necessity for injecting the bladder, and by depriving the operation of all its alarming accompaniments, much to the relief of both surgeon and patient,—all which will form subject matter for a paper to follow that on lithotomy. 257, Union Street, Aberdeen, 6th October, 1843.