Cases of ovariotomy / by Thomas Keith.

  • Keith, Thomas, 1827-1895.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of ovariotomy / by Thomas Keith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    CASES OF OYAEIOTOMY. Mrs S., aged fifty-five, applied to Dr Thomson of Dalkeith, towards the end of August last, on account of an abdominal enlargement, accompanied by severe pain referred to a small spot under the ribs in the region of the gall-bladder. On examination, the abdomen was found to be occupied by a large ovarian tumour, to which her attention had been first directed six months before. Up to the time of the appearance of the tumour her health had been good: she had worked hard all her life, and- had brought up a large family. She remained under Dr Thomson's observation for the next three months, and under the remedies employed the pain diminished, but the tumour continued to increase. She lost flesh rapidly, and her general health gave way. Dr Thomson asked me to see her in the beginning of December last. She was then very thin and very sallow, otherwise healthy enough looking. The tumom- was multilocular, and no cyst of any size could be detected. It filled up the whole abdomen, pushing the ribs outwards, and projecting in a suspicious manner to the right side, bulging the flank outwards, suggesting adhesions. But at that time these were supposed not to exist, owing to the fact that the integuments over this side of the tumour could be moA^ed as freely and easily as over any other part of the abdomen. In the right iliac region there was a peculiar feeling of crepitation perceptible when the skin was pinched up, and adhesions were accordingly supposed to exist at this point. On the left side the abdomen felt soft, except under the ribs, where there were several hard masses to be felt. There was no line of separation between the hepatic dulness and that of tlie tumour, and the pain formerly complained of in this region had now ceased. The uterus was pushed down- wards, but was otherwise normal and movable. A large soft cyst filled the upper part of the pelvic cavity, but no impulse could be communicated to it through tne abdominal wall. For a case such as this, there was evidently no middle course between letting the patient alone, and removing the tumour. And it seemed to me that she had now arrived at that stage of her malady, when I believe we are not only fully justified in proposing ovari-