Fibrous tumor of the uterus : excessive hæmorrhage; removal by excision / by B. Fordyce Barker.

  • Barker, B. Fordyce.
Date:
[1857?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Fibrous tumor of the uterus : excessive hæmorrhage; removal by excision / by B. Fordyce Barker. 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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    discharge from the bowels, attended with pretty severe colicky pain, but no strangury. From this date until the morning of Jan. 2d, there was no more hasmorrhage, and efforts were made during this period to restore the general powers of the system by the use of stimulants, beef tea, and codine, the only preparation of opium which she tolerated well. On the morning of Jan. 2d, I found that a moderate amount of haemorrhage had again appeared, and the decoction of Matico was ordered : R. Fol. Matico - - - - iij Aq. Bullient - - - - Oj Misce. A wine glassful thrice a day. Before she had time to procure the prescription from the drug- gist, I was again summoned in great haste, the haemorrhage having become very profuse. She was previously so extremely anajmic, that the loss of even an ounce of blood was fearful. I at once plugged the vagina with the batting soaked in the decoction of Matico, and directed an ounce of the decoction with thirty drops of the Tine. Secale Cornu. to be taken every hour. She had no more haemor- rhage from this time, but for many days it seemed impossible to rally her from the collapse which followed. The countenance was swollen and puffy, the mind confused and wandering, the respiration hurried, panting, and very frequent, the pulse varying from 120 to 140, and the surface cold and clammy. Friction and dry warmth to the extremities, beef tea, brandy, and codine were assiduously kept up, but I believe she would have succumbed had it not been for a suggestion made by my father. Dr. Barker, of Maine, who was then visiting me. He proposed to me to keep what little blood there was circulating in the system in the vital organs. On this hint, I at once acted. I at first compressed both brachial arteries with my thumbs, and the breathing soon became slower and easier, and she begged me to continue the pressure. I then arrested the circulation so far as possible through the brachial and femoral arteries, by means of compresses and bandages, and in a few moments she fell asleep. On account of the difBculty of breathing, she had not slept before, except for a moment at a time, for nearly three days. So great was the relief that she derived from this expedient, that she kept the bandages on for three nights and two days, only having them loosened occasionally for a few moments, to have the circulation restored in the extremities by friction, &c. It is unnecessary to detail the vari-