Case of a wounded nerve, followed by severe consequences, and cured by removing the wounded portion of the nerve / [George Bell].

  • Bell, George
Date:
[1826]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Case of a wounded nerve, followed by severe consequences, and cured by removing the wounded portion of the nerve / [George Bell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    she could permit them to be moved in every direction, without increase of pain. On the 9th, she complained of slight uneasiness in the fingers and forearm, but these sensations seem to have been occasioned by her having passed a restless night, and having been obsti¬ nately costive. A dose of compound powder of jalap was there¬ fore given, which operated copiously in the course of the day, and an emollient poultice was applied to the wound. \§th.—She slept well during the night,—has no symptoms of fever,—the pain of the arm relieved, and the wound has an healing appearance. 19jth.—Remains easy and free from fever,—ligatures were removed this forenoon, and the pain which the upper one seemed to have occasioned is gone. The wound is now dressed with adhesive plasters. From this time she continued quite well as to her general health, complaining occasionally of a sense of stiffness or numbness in her arm, though not to a greater ex¬ tent than was reasonably to be referred to the wound made in the operation. The wound was healed on the 1st August. In this case, I have no doubt that at least a permanent con¬ traction of the elbow-joint, if not an attack of tetanus, was pre¬ vented, by the operation having been performed so soon after the infliction of the injury; and I would be disposed to hold it out as a case affording encouragement not to delay removing a portion of a partially wounded nerve, producing symptoms si¬ milar to those above detailed, where the nerve is accessible to the knife. But although an early operation is, in all cases advisable ; yet, if it has been neglected, or unavoidably postponed, the ex¬ periment ought to be made, even at a very protracted period from the accident, and when symptoms, which, when idiopathic, are generally considered incurable, have supervened. The pro¬ priety of this is exemplified by the following case. A young woman, 16 years of age, when engaged in her do¬ mestic duties, cut herself with a knife, about three fingers’ breadth above the w7rist, wounding both the artery and nerve. The arterial blood was soon stemmed, the wound healed; and there remained only a little pustule, resembling a bilberry. Some few months afterwards she became affected with fainting fits, and applied to Volchamer for advice. He inquired mi¬ nutely into the history of her complaints, and suspected an in¬ jury on the head ; but on being shewn her arm, to the injury on which, and the loss of blood, she attributed her complaints, he, taking the pustule for an incipient aneurism, directed a sur¬ geon to apply caustic, which was done so effectually that a large eschar separated ; the wound was kept open as an issue for six months, and the young w^oman had no return of fainting fits.