The cure of epilepsy and of inveterate uterine displacements / by William Alexander.

  • Alexander, William, 1844-1919.
Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The cure of epilepsy and of inveterate uterine displacements / by William Alexander. 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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    Wlieii I saw him in the evening he was in great distress. A nurse had put on an elastic bandage to retain the antiseptic dressings in close contact with his neck, and had drawn it so tightly that his chest was gradually compressed until costal respiration was impossible. Removal of the bandage gave him intense relief. On the 18th and 19th he had two fits. The wound healed up readily and without any elevation of temperature. I saw him to-day (hTovemher 1), and he had not had a single fit since August 19. He has taken the same medicine since the operation that he had taken for some time before the operation took place. Case 3.—The third case, and the last that I will publish at the present time, was a very unfavourable one. Cornelius M., aged nine years, an epileptic from birth, first came under my care in September, 1880. He is also idiotic to a certain degree, but would probably receive much benefit from treatment in an idiot asylum. The fits, however, incapacitated him from being received there, a,nd ifc was without much hope of success that I ligatured his left vertebral artery. Before the operation he had, from his admission in September, 1880, till June, 1881, 161 fits, or, on an average, sixteen fits per month. The operation was performed on July 13, by the same incision as in Case 1. The vertebral artery was very small, and for that reason also success was not expected. The patient turned out very intractable under the dressings, and it was impossible to preserve antiseptic precautions. The tempera- ture went up on the third evening to 103°, and on the 16th it reached 106°. This high temperature did not afiect the patient very much. He was quite lively, and very restless. The wound healed readily under the open method, and by July 20 the temperature was normal. On July 23 the patient was very much excited, and the nurse thought he was going to have some fits ; but after 9 p.m. he became quiet, and went to sleep. On July 29 the patient