Contributions to practical medicine and surgery / by James Arnott.

  • Arnott, James (James Moncrieff), 1794-1885.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Contributions to practical medicine and surgery / by James Arnott. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and there would be less chance of laceration by this than any other conceivable means. A large opening would be made by It for the passage of the stone, which could therefore be extracted without the fatal dragging and abrasion that occur when the dilatation has been insufficient. In reply to the second question, it may be stated, that oug t e irritation from stretching the tissues would be less if this were done gradually, the coexistence of any con- siderable degree of irritation with a long continued process o dilatation, may on some occasions render this intolerable. i)r. Wright, who IS mentioned in Dr. Willis’ excellent trea¬ tise on this subject, as having successfully used slow dilata¬ tion, was, on a subsequent occasion, obliged, for this reason, to remove the dilator before its purpose had been completed, and to finish the operation by the knife. I have obviated _e necessity of this in operating upon the female, by admi¬ nistering a strong opiate; but chloroform, repeated in small OSes, as in obstetric cases, would, probably, have a better e ec Or, the distending fluid might, throughout or at in- ervals, consist of a cold benumbing solution kept under _ 4-1 * * 1 r* 1 ^ continuously renewed on e principle of the current apparatus. The same objec- lon may be made to this suggestion that has been made to the removal of cancerous growths by congelation, namely, that e process is too complicated; and assuredly, there is a W1 e 1 erence in this respect between it and the finger as means of dilatation. But why should surgery be depLed, in this very important instance, of all benefit conferred by advancing mechanical science ? The inflated tube which according to Alpinus, was used by the Egyptians for the ex¬ traction of stone, was a dilator of fluid pressure, and surely It may be used in an improved form, as well as the improved nives, catheters, and tourniquets, of the present day ? If, D