Lectures on surgery / [James Wardrop].

  • Wardrop, James, 1782-1869
Date:
1833, 1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on surgery / [James Wardrop]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    LECTURES ON SURGERY, ON SURGICAL OPERATIONS. Causes of Danger in Operations—Operations on Persons of different Constitutions—On Scrofulous Persons — On Gouty Persons — Operations on Persons of different Tem- peraments — On Infants — Children — and Adults. It was remarked in the Introductory Discourse, that notwithstanding the ad¬ vancement which medical science has made during the last century, a vast num¬ ber of operations are yet daily performed without success, the fatality of which is at¬ tributable either to the surgeon not pos¬ sessing a competent knowledge of his professional duties, or from his having a predilection for the performance of ope¬ rations. The practice of executing un¬ necessary operations, and the theatrical effect which is too often made of them in public hospitals, I have already endea¬ voured to reprobate, and I am sure that you all will heartily join me in stigmatiz¬ ing a custom so disgraceful both to sur¬ gery and to civilized society. The failure of operations from want of due consideration of all the circum¬ stances which exist in individual cases, is, however, I must hope, more usual than from the vicious habits to which I have just alluded; for these are causes which, to a certain extent, it is in your power to obviate. I now propose, therefore, to con¬ sider, 1st. The causes which render operations more than usually dangerous, or altogether improper. 2ndly. The treatment which should be employed previous to their performance. c 3rdly. The mode of conducting them. 4thly. The causes of their fatality; and, 5thly. The treatment of the patient after their performance. I am not aware that these very important subjects have hi¬ therto been discussed in a special manner by any writer, though in the accounts of different diseases which require opera¬ tions, in systematic works, you will find some useful observations under the head of particular operations. I therefore hope, that by collecting and arranging the ob¬ servations which I have made on these in¬ teresting points, and by bringing them at once under your view, I shall not only be enabled to explain very fully some im¬ portant doctrines, but shall prevent the necessity of again entering thereon, when¬ ever particular operations come under our consideration. Causes of Danger in Operations. With regard to the causes which render the performance of surgical operations more than usually hazardous, or altoge¬ ther improper, they may be stated to arise either from, 1st. Peculiarities of constitution; 2nd. Peculiarities of temper¬ ament ; or, 3rd. The period of age. I need scarcely observe, that when a patient is out of health, or is suffering from constitutional disturbance, it cannot be expected that any operation will be un¬ dertaken under the same favourable cir¬ cumstances as if he were afflicted merely with the local ailment which the opera¬ tion is intended to remedy. The first point, therefore, which the sur¬ geon has to determine, when the time for the operation becomes matter of discus-