Introduction to the catalogue of the collections of calculi of the bladder upwards of one thousand in number (besides foreign bodies) removed by operation.

  • Thompson, Henry, Sir, 1820-1904.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Introduction to the catalogue of the collections of calculi of the bladder upwards of one thousand in number (besides foreign bodies) removed by operation. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    for stone at Hopital Neckar, in Paris (1876-7), at my friend Dr. Guyon's request, before a large number of students there. I contended that the plan of emptying the bladder at a final sitting, under these circumstances, constituted a great improvement on the method by baths, demulcents, rest and waiting for irritation to subside, much employed for cystitis during lithotrity here, and always abroad. But it did not occur to me that this practice would be advisable in every case of calculus, as was, soon after this, to become apparent. In 1878, Professor Bigelow, of Harvard, U.S., made public his proposal to crush the entire calculus, when- ever possible, at a single sitting ; assuming that less injury was sustained by the bladder from prolonged manipula- tion, provided the whole stone was removed at once, than from inflammation caused by prolonged contact with numerous fragments left therein for several days, to await subsequent sittings. I was quite prepared to accept this principle, and testing it without delay soon recognised its importance and value. Since that time I have adopted it, with three or four exceptions only, for all those cases to which I considered lithotrity appHcable; using, how- ever, the same lithotrites as before, namely, those made on the model designed by myself, with the cylindrical handle &c. I have made various modifications which experience has suggested from time to time in the apparatus for removing debris, arriving finally at the aspirator which I have used during the last few years. Hence, having employed the same instruments for crush- ing, and the same system for removing the material crushed, since 1878, as before that date, I am unable to adopt a new name to denote the improvement which