The treatment of wounds, ulcers, and abscesses.

  • Cheyne, William Watson, Sir, 1852-1932.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The treatment of wounds, ulcers, and abscesses. 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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    dressing forceps through the incision and expanding the blades in all directions. In certain cases, such as in the neck, many surgeons use Hilton's method, in which the skin only is incised, and then, with a pair of dressing forceps, the deeper tissues are bored through till pus is reached. No doubt this plan is sufficiently satisfactory in many cases, but I think that witli care it is but seldom necessary, and even where it is em- ployed I should strongly advocate the subsequent introduction of the finger for the purpose already mentioned. Having freely opened the cavity of the abscess, the pus which it contains should be thoroughly squeezed out, and then a drainage tube, which should always be of fairly large size—in fact, the larger the better in the first instance — should be introduced. For my own part, 1 object strongly to the washing out of these acute abscesses as is done by some surgeons. I do not think that it does any good, while, as I have already repeatedly said, it is apt to damage and depress the vitality of the abscess wall and favour the extension of the process. In opening an abscess all the usual antiseptic pre- cautions should be taken, the skin, &c., being purified, and cyanide dressings being employed in the manner which I have already fully described. At first sight