Reports of the Edinburgh Surgical Hospital, from May 1829 to May 1833 / [James Syme].

  • Syme, James, 1799-1870.
Date:
[1829-1833]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports of the Edinburgh Surgical Hospital, from May 1829 to May 1833 / [James Syme]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    22/228 (page 14)
    tion and anxiety which characterised it previous to the opera¬ tion. According to the latest accounts from Dr Anderson she continues perfectly well. The breast on dissection exhibited the appearances described by Sir A. Cooper, being merely more dense and uniform in structure than usual. Excision of Mamma.-— Janet Anderson, set. 40, entered the Hospital on the 8th of May, on account of a scirrhus mam¬ ma, which had recently suppurated to a small extent on the surface| it was removed a few days afterwards, the wound heal¬ ed by the first intention, and she would have been dismissed as quickly as the last mentioned patient, but an abscess formed in the axilla, which excited our worst suspicions, and induced us to detain her for some time longer. Fortunately this ab¬ scess did not turn out to be malignant, but healed most satis¬ factorily, and the patient was dismissed quite well on the 18th June. She returned a few days ago to show that she con¬ tinued free from complaint, and offer thanks for the care which had been bestowed upon her, previously to departure for the north. * Margaret Mathieson, aged 23, was recommended to the Hos¬ pital on the 10th of June by Dr Johnston of Kirkaldy, on ac¬ count of a very large and exceedingly hard tumour in the axil¬ la. It filled the axillary cavity so completely as to prevent the arm from being approximated to the side, and was occasion¬ ally the seat of severe lancinating pain. It had existed more than half a year, and was continuing to increase progressively. Notwithstanding the youth of the patient, the symptoms just men¬ tioned would probably have induced me to remove the tumour, had other circumstances been favourable to this proceeding, but it was rendered quite impracticable by the firm connexions of the tumour, and even if this objection could have been over¬ come, the existence of many hard tumours of a smaller size in the neck and throat would have rendered an operation quite unjustifiable. It occurred to me, that, as the uterine discharges were sus¬ pended, advantage might result from the internal administra¬ tion of cantharides, especially as this medicine has a very re¬ markable effect in promoting the action of the absorbent vessels in general. In no long time after commencing the course pre¬ scribed to her, she noticed a remarkable diminution not only of the pain, but also of the swelling, and regularly improved * It has afforded me equal pleasure and surprise to find that the patients of the Surgical Hospital have manifested by their conduct and expression much more gra¬ titude for the attention bestowed on them, than is usually met with in treating people of the lower orders, especially in hospitals.