History of the discovery and mode of application of the liquid adhesive plaster, or ethereal solution of prepared cotton, originally applied to surgery / by J.P. Maynard ; with surgical cases treated, and testimonials from J. Mason Warren of Boston, and Dr. Whitney of Dedham.

  • Maynard, J. P. (John Parker), 1817-1898.
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the discovery and mode of application of the liquid adhesive plaster, or ethereal solution of prepared cotton, originally applied to surgery / by J.P. Maynard ; with surgical cases treated, and testimonials from J. Mason Warren of Boston, and Dr. Whitney of Dedham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    carefully performed experiments, and are true. No other known gum possesses such adhesive power as these exper- iments Bhow this cotton gum to be endowed with. No adhesive plaster hitherto used in surgery is to be compared to it in this respect. It therefore can be made use of in cases in which the common adhesive plaster would be useless. The wonderful adhesive properties which my experi* menta proved it to possess, suggested the thought that it might answer the purpose of sutures in surgery. And an opportunity soon occurred to enable me to decide the fact that it would. I allude to the operation performed by Dr. Whitney, for the removal of a wen from the head. Fearing that an erysipelatous inflammation might arise in the scalp, in case he united the divided parts by sutures, Dr. W. shaved the hair from the raised scalp, and by means of the cotton solution he glued some short and narrow straps of sheep-skin on each flap, a short distance from their edge. These straps were then drawn towards each other until the edges of the wound were brought into close and exact union, and the free ends of the straps were fastened together by sutures. In this case the needle and thread were passed through inanimate leather instead of living flesh, causing no pain to the patient and no interruption of the process of healing. The wound healed favorably, and without the usual accidents necessarily occasioned by the presence of sutures in, and the operation for their removal from the parts. The happy result of this case convinced me that a means was now discovered which would enable the surgeon to do away with sutuies, pins and needles, in most of the cases ui which these are at present considered indispensable. Although unauthorized to do so, I must take the liberty, in this pla°ce, to mention the interesting fact that Dr. Corn- stock, of Wientham, has recently employed this liquid as a dressing in a case of extensive laceration of the perineum,