Lectures on electricity, dynamic and franklinic, in its relations to medicine and surgery.

  • Rockwell, A. D. (Alphonso David), 1840-1925.
Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on electricity, dynamic and franklinic, in its relations to medicine and surgery. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    operation, the apparatus should be thoroughly tested, and the platinum wire and knives, and especially the handles, carefully examined, in order to detect -any incomplete connection or faulty working of the screws or wheels. Before tin-circuit is closed for the generation of heat, the wire loop should be ac- curately adjusted; and when encircling mucous membrane, should not be strongly contracted until the submucous tissue is reached. When passing through superficial or cellular tis- sue, the wire should nol be brought to a while heat, li should be remembered that the amount of heat generated may be too great as well as too Little, and. therefore, the adaptation of cur- rent strength should be according to the thickness and length of the wire loop, or size of the cautery knife used, and the vascu- larity or dryness of the tissue acted upon. If the wire loop l>e very thin, and the quantity of electricity large, there is great danger that the wire may break before the close of the opera- tion, and cause serious annoyance. If, on the other hand, the quantity of electricity be insufficient, the platinum, whether wire or knife, will become incompletely heated, fail to cut iarough the tissues thoroughly, and thus increase the danger of hemorrhage. Again, when exceedingly vascular parts are to be cut into, as, for example, in amputation of the cervix uteri, it is of the first importance not to use too small a wire. Brought to a white heat, there is not only a possibility that the wire maj become fused, hut the rapid severance of the tissues is almost sure to be followed ii\ considerable hemorrhage By the use, however, of the larger-sized platinum loop, amputation of the cervix and other vascular parts is often accomplished without the lo~-> of a drop of blood. In these operations it i- safe \<> use the largest wire that tlie battery ar hand will successfully beat Toward the close of the operation, as til.' loop becomes gradu- ally reduced in size, the elements should, by an assistant, be gradually lifted from the solution, thus reducing the quantity of electricity generated. At every step of an operation an assistant is needed, whose exclusive duty it should be to see to the working of tin- appa- ratus, to raise or lower the cells, and to attend'to the peculiar