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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    was effected, and the divided edges of the abdominal parietes, including the peritoneum, \mited by harelip pins and by inter- mediate superficial wire sutures. The opposite ovary had been examined and found healthy. The tumour consisted of one large cyst, and a group of smaller ones, containing fluid of very different density: one contained almost pure blood. She remained depressed for about two hours, when she be- came restless, and complained of intense pain all over the ab- domen. A large linseed poultice, covered with linen so that it could be changed easily, was applied, very hot, over the whole abdomen, and an enema of thirty minims of laudanum given in two ounces of water. This gave great relief. Sickness continued troublesome, but she passed a tolerable night. It is needless to give a daily report of the case further, as it was almost one of uninterrupted recovery. The opium enema was repeated occasionally when there was pain. The poultices were used constantly for several days. On the third day she suffered a good deal from flatus, wliich was relieved by an in- jection of turpentine and assalijetida in thin arrow-root, a co- pious motion following it. 1 removed the pins on the fourth day; on tiie fifth the catamenia appeared unexpectedly; on the sixth day she appeared rather low and feverish, and the pulse became feeble and rose to 110. I carefully examined the wound, and pressed out from one to two drachms of very fetid pus from the track of one of the pins. This gave almost imme- diate relief. Sickness continued troublesome at times during the first week. The clamp was removed on July 2nd, and the last of the superficial sutures on the following day. A fortnight after the operation she was sitting up in bed, eating and sleep- ing well, almost free from pain, pulse 80, and the wound quite healed, except at the spot where the peduncle had passed; here there was still a little fetid purulent discharge. July 14ih. Wound healed; convalescent. She left the hos- pital four weeks after the operation; and I saw her on the 11th of August, strong and well, feeling, siie said, better than she ever was in lier life before. Hemcn-ks.—The chief differences in the treatment of this case to those previously reported, were the use of very hot lin- seed poultices to the abdomen, frequently removed; the smaller use of opium ; and the earlier clearing of the bowels by ene- mata. The relief afforded by the poultices was very great and unmistakeable. The clearing of the bowels on the third or fourth day, by enema, may appear bad practice to those ac- customed to keep the bowels confined by opium for a week or