The principles and practice of operative surgery.

  • Skey, Frederic C. (Frederic Carpenter), 1798-1872.
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles and practice of operative surgery. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    classj on the one liand, M'ith the employment of such remedies, on the other, as steel, quinine, and cod-liver oil, and, above all, the more liberal allowance of food and stimulants. I do not argue now whether this is more successful; it is enough for me to appeal to the change. Why has the tonic plan of treatment been of late years so much approved ? What does it mean ? Surely this, that the more closely we scrutinise the phenomena of disease and study its lessons at the bedside and in the theatre by the light of physiolog}'^, the more plainly are we tauglit to rely upon Nature for repair and recovery, —the more distinctly are we warned not rashly to obstruct her by an impatient interference, or by exhausting her resources to frustrate her designs. We are taught to be more expectant; to watch her actions in order to assist them by husbanding the forces with which she works. In this edition I have omitted the section on the Operative Surgery of the eye which appeared in the last. This subject has now become so special, and so much has lately been done in it, that, in the absence of any great personal experience, I gladly refer the reader to the admirable works we possess. The same remarks will apply to the surgery of the ear. finally, let me add, tliat I am painfully sensible that this work falls far, very far, short of what I would wish it to be. I fear it will recpiire no great amount of critical acumen to discover its faults. Yet I venture to hope that while no important points of detail have been omitted, I have not been altogether unsuccessful in that which is more especially my purpose—the enunciation of sound principles. * Is it to be explained by a corresponding change in the type of disease? It is a fact worthy of observation, that those who advance this not very intelligible plea are the most reluctant to admit any change into their practice.