Report of the Chinese Hospital, at Shanghae, from July 1st 1847, to December 31st, 1848 / by the Committee.

  • Chinese Hospital (Shanghai)
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Chinese Hospital, at Shanghae, from July 1st 1847, to December 31st, 1848 / by the Committee. 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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    Chinese use chloride of mercury, or calomel ointment, to cleanse the ulcer and produce a free purulent dis- charge. In the months of September and October, the wards of the Hospital were filled with cases of gun- shot wounds and very severe burns, received on board of junks, that had been attacked by pirates. In one of these cases, a piece of an iron bar, two inches long, passed through the thorax and lung of the left side, just above the heart. Much inflammation supervened ; large quantities of serous pus Were ejected at both of the wounds, and the man died from exhaustion. In an- other case, a ball passed through the left thigh, then en- tered the abdomen, and passed out on the right side of the thorax. A piece Of omentum projected at the abdo- minal wound, causing much irritation and distress ; and extensive sloughing took place, at the side of the thorax, where the ball had made its exit. The man suffered very much, both from the wound in the abdomen, and from violent inflammation of the right lung. Several abscesses formed in the course which the ball had taken, giving rise to violent pain and excessive suppuration ; the pus was frequently tinged with a yellow fluid like bile. Hectic fever came on, and the man remained in a very precarious state for several weeks ; but, after a hard struggle, ther wounds gradually healed, and he fi- nally left the hospital, almost well. He has since been heard of, and Was gradually recovering his health. In one of the cases of severe burns, the cuticle of almost the whole surface of the body was destroyed. The man suffered very severely, but the sloughs se-