A discussion of some questions relating to tonsillotomy : read before the State Medical Society of Pennsylvania, at its meeting in 1882, and published in The Medical Record of February, 1883 ; Clinical remarks upon deflections of the nasal septum, with a presentation of two cases made before the Allegheny County Medical Society, at its meeting, November, 1883 / by W.H. Daly.

  • Daly, W. H. (William Hudson), 1842-1901.
Date:
[1883]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discussion of some questions relating to tonsillotomy : read before the State Medical Society of Pennsylvania, at its meeting in 1882, and published in The Medical Record of February, 1883 ; Clinical remarks upon deflections of the nasal septum, with a presentation of two cases made before the Allegheny County Medical Society, at its meeting, November, 1883 / by W.H. Daly. 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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    not to speak of the facial deformity, which is so naturally a matter of personal solicitude to young ladies. My advice was sought by the patient, not for the relief of the external deformity, but in the hope that I could enable her to breathe through the left nostril, very justly believing that such relief would bring with it a better articulate voice, and possibly a return of the sense of smell. You will observe, however, as, a result of the operation, that the external appearance of the organ is now excellent. You will notice, also, that the volume of air ejected from the left naris is now quite ample, the patient being, as you see, able to blow out the flame of a blazing match, through either nostril alike. The sense of smell is returning, and the natural facial expression is restored. Now, as to the mode of treatment in this case; I might pre- mise by saying this patient had, in common with many others of a similar kind, undergone much treatment for catarrh and deafness. Yet, in order to not only put the mucous membrane in a healthier condition, but to have her become accustomed to the tolerance of instrumental contact with the parts involved, I also gave her further treatment, and made a preliminary op- eration by. removing the cartilaginous mass from the convex surface, and reducing the septum to a proper thickness. Three weeks later, with the assistance of Dr. V. Kersey, of Pittsburgh, and Dr. X. C. Scott, of Cleveland, the patient was placed under the influence of an anaesthetic, in a sitting pos- ture, before a proper light, and the final operation done by introducing the cutting blade of this instrument into the right naris, and the flat blade into the narrowed left one. This latter was accomplished by using moderate force. The blades were then locked, and a number of stellate incis- ions made until I was enabled to force the septum over to its place, by introducing my little finger into the previously oc- cluded nasal fossa. After hemorrhage was controlled by hot water douches, one of these ivory plugs was introduced in order to keep the col- umna in as direct an antero-posterior line as possible. Considerable constitutional disturbance followed the ope- ration, and on the third day there was a slight erysipelatous blush upon the nose, which was subdued by the administra- tion of iron and quinine. The plug was carefully removed once a day, and the parts cleansed of mucous and blood.