Quarterly report of the Edinburgh Surgical Hospital, from November 1829 to February 1830 / by James Syme.

  • Syme, James, 1799-1870.
Date:
[1830]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Quarterly report of the Edinburgh Surgical Hospital, from November 1829 to February 1830 / by James Syme. 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.

    19/31 (page 18)
    stance of the scrotum instead of the tunica vaginalis. I converted the puncture into an incision about an inch long, and squeezed out some of the wine, but much of it still remained, and I pre- pared for violent local and constitutional disturbance, when to my surprise every thing went on favourably, and the patient obtained a radical cure speedily and satisfactorily. Cancer of the William Armstrong, set. 352, mason, admitted 27th January, on account of an ulcer, about the size of a shilling, at the bottom of the scrotum, which present- ed a very obstinate and malignant appearance. The edges were excavated, thick and hard ; the surface was smooth and discoloured ; the discharge thin and foetid; and there was much surrounding induration, extending to, but apparently not im- plicating, the testicle. The ulcer followed a hard tubercle, which was first noticed four months ago. On the 28th, I ex- cised the ulcer, together with the surrounding induration, and found it necessary, in order to eradicate the evil, to shave off a thin slice of the testicle. The patient suffered no disturbance either local or general, and is now well. Hernia.—On Sunday the 27th of December, I was asked by Dr Alison to meet Dr Ballingall in consultation on the case of M. G., an unmarried female, aet. 40, who, since the pre- ceding Friday, had laboured under a strangulated femoral hernia, which had resisted all the ordinary means of reduction. The tumour was very large for a femoral hernia, exceeding that of a full sized orange. It was of old standing, but had never before attained such a size. Dr Ballingall and I having satisfied ourselves that the reduction could not be accomplish- ed without an operation, recommended its immediate perfor- mance. The patient having no objections, was conveyed to the Surgical Hospital, where I operated soon after her arrival in the presence of Drs Alison and Ballingall. The sac contained several ounces of serous effusion, a web of thickened omentum, and a fold of the small intestine. Hav- ing relieved the stricture, which was extremely tight, by cut- ting towards the pubes, so as to divide the crescentic portion of the crural arch, I proceeded to reduce the intestine, which was effected with some difficulty, owing to the distended state of the abdomen, and the size of the protruded part. I then cut away the thickened omentum, and dressed the wound. The patient felt comfortable after the operation, which was performed at 4 r. m. Her vomiting ceased, and she had an evacuation from her bowels after an injection. Diu'ing the night inflammation came on ; and, notwithstanding blceiling, leeching, warm fomentations, &c. proved fatal on the succeed-