Eight cases of ovariotomy : with remarks on the means of diminishing the mortality after this operation / by T. Spencer Wells.

  • Wells, Spencer, 1818-1897.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Eight cases of ovariotomy : with remarks on the means of diminishing the mortality after this operation / by T. Spencer Wells. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Four years ago she was confined with her last child. During her pregnancy she had a great deal of pain in the left side. This disappeared after the labour, but her abdomen did not diminish in size as usual. On the contrary, it continued to increase gradually, but very slowly, until September, 1858, when the increase became more rapid. It was not noticed to increase more on one side than the other, but extended centrally from below upwards. Since the more rapid increase she has lost health, strength, appetite, and flesh. The cata- menia have been quite regular, but there was a greater quan- tity than usual last time. Present State.—She is a large, spare woman, of very sal- low complexion, and the skin is blotched in brown patches, very much like bronzed skin. Bowels regular; rapid, very feeble pulse. The appearance of the abdomen is well repre- sented by the appended wood-cut, copied from a photograph taken by Dr. Wright, but some months later, just before the operation. Fig. 1. The girth of the umbilicus was fifty-three inches, while the vertical measurement from the ensiform cartilage to the symphv- sis pubis was twenty-eight inches. She had an umbilical hernia long before the commencement of her present disease, and the skin at this spot was thin and transparent, being distended al- most to bursting. Between the umbilicus and the symphysis pubis the skin was raised by dilated and varicose lymphatics.